On November 3, 2025, President Donald Trump sat down with Norah O'Donnell at his Mar-a-Lago resort for a highly anticipated 60 Minutes interview. The episode, which aired that evening, quickly became the talk of the internet—sparking a cascade of reactions, memes, and fact-checks. The broadcast was just 23 minutes long, but CBS posted a longer 73-minute video online and later released a full transcript spanning 90 minutes on its website, according to Paste Magazine. With the extended content available, viewers and critics alike began dissecting every moment, with some exchanges standing out more than others.
Right from the start, Trump wasted no time in laying blame for the ongoing government shutdown squarely at the feet of the Democrats. As reported by BuzzFeed, he declared, “Democrats' fault,” when questioned about the impasse. This sentiment, echoing throughout the interview, drew immediate responses online. One viewer summarized the mood: “The so-called party of personal responsibility is led by a man who never takes responsibility for anything.” The shutdown itself stemmed from Democrats seeking to force congressional Republicans to negotiate an extension for Obamacare premium subsidies, a move with real consequences for millions of Americans facing possible spikes in health insurance costs, as noted by MSNBC.
But Trump’s comments didn’t stop at policy. In a moment that quickly went viral, he claimed to be better looking than New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. The quip, which was met with a mix of amusement and disbelief, was just one of several eyebrow-raising statements. Trump also criticized the Affordable Care Act, labeling it “terrible,” yet he offered no concrete replacement plan. Instead, he promised that if the government were reopened, he would “sit down with the Democrats and we'll fix it.” O'Donnell attempted to interject, pointing out that resolving the shutdown wouldn’t magically solve the healthcare system’s woes or rising costs, but Trump remained steadfast in his position.
On the subject of the economy, Trump insisted that grocery prices, which had risen during President Biden’s tenure, were now falling under his administration. However, CNN fact-checked this claim, reporting that grocery prices actually rose 0.3% from August to September and 0.6% from July to August 2025—the largest month-to-month jump in three years. O'Donnell pressed Trump on the issue, noting that gains in the stock market don’t benefit everyone, since only about 60% of Americans have a retirement savings plan, according to Gallup. Trump, undeterred, replied, “We’re gonna have an economy like we have never seen. We’re doing very well—the stock market just hit an all-time high.” Yet, for many Americans, the reality of rising grocery prices and the uncertainty of food assistance benefits like SNAP loomed larger than stock market records.
The interview also veered into more contentious territory. When asked about his stance on fascism, Trump declared, “I’m the opposite of a Nazi.” O'Donnell’s follow-up—“So would you say you’re... anti-fascist?”—hung in the air, especially given the administration’s frequent criticism of Antifa. Trump’s response, though not detailed in the transcript, left viewers pondering the complexities of political labeling in today’s climate.
Immigration, always a hot-button issue, took center stage when O'Donnell questioned Trump about the escalation of deportation efforts and the often-violent ICE raids. She referenced videos of ICE agents tackling a young mother, tear gas being used in a Chicago neighborhood, and the smashing of car windows, asking if these raids had “gone too far.” Trump’s answer was unequivocal: “I think they haven’t gone far enough.” He elaborated, saying that many deported individuals were “murderers” and “criminals,” though O'Donnell pointed out that many had no violent criminal record. When pressed on whether his intent was to deport people without criminal records, Trump stated, “We have to start off with a policy, and the policy has to be, you came into the country illegally, you’re gonna go out. However, we’ve also seen, you’re gonna go out, we’re gonna work with you, and you’re gonna come back into our country legally.”
The conversation took another turn when Trump mentioned watching a “very well-known Democrat Congressman fighting like hell for men playing in women’s sports” on TV. When O'Donnell asked him to name the individual, Trump demurred, saying, “I don’t want to tell you. You’ll be able to check it. Just check your local TV.” The cryptic exchange left viewers scratching their heads, and social media was abuzz with speculation about the unnamed lawmaker.
Amidst these policy debates and personal jabs, Trump found a moment to profess his admiration for journalist Bari Weiss, as reported by Paste Magazine. The interview itself was subject to editing—CBS reportedly omitted a segment where Trump gloated about the Paramount settlement related to a 2024 Kamala Harris interview, presumably to avoid embarrassment. The decision to edit the segment, as Paste Magazine noted, was made at Trump’s suggestion.
Yet, the 60 Minutes interview wasn’t the only headline-grabbing Trump moment that week. On November 4, 2025, during a separate 60 Minutes segment with Norah O'Donnell, Trump once again referred to Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett as “a low IQ individual.” The remark reignited a saga that began a week earlier, when late-night host Jimmy Kimmel challenged Trump to a televised IQ contest with Crockett. According to The Daily Beast, Kimmel reminded viewers, “I have very generously, for a whole week now, offered to host, produce, and/or promote a live televised IQ contest between our stable genius president and Jasmine Crockett, who he thinks so little of.” Kimmel even unveiled a massive trophy inscribed with “atrophy of the brain,” joking, “We have now the biggest trophy in the history of mankind. Look at the size of that thing. Can you imagine that beauty on the White House lawn? A physical testament to Donald Trump’s intelligence.”
Despite Crockett accepting the challenge, Trump had yet to respond as of November 4. Kimmel, ever the provocateur, urged, “Come and get it, Mr. President. You know you want it. You could fill it with bubbles and bathe in it! You can’t do that with the Nobel Prize.” The spectacle became a meta-commentary on Trump’s penchant for public bravado, and late-night television’s role in holding political figures to account—albeit with a healthy dose of humor.
The 60 Minutes interview, with its mix of policy pronouncements, personal boasts, and combative exchanges, offered a revealing snapshot of Trump’s approach as he navigates a divided political landscape. For supporters, his confidence and directness remain appealing; for critics, the fact-checking and contradictions highlight deeper concerns. With the country watching—and late-night hosts ready with a punchline—the conversation around Trump’s leadership style, policy priorities, and public persona shows no signs of quieting down.
