Trump and CBS Thaw Tensions in 60 Minutes Interview

President Donald Trump sat down for his first in-depth interview with CBS's 60 Minutes since settling a $16 million lawsuit with the network, offering a wide-ranging defense of his policies and economic agenda in an AOL News piece. The interview, conducted at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and aired on Nov. 2, featured Trump touting his administration's trade deals, immigration enforcement, and confrontational stance with China. The appearance marked a symbolic thaw in relations between Trump and CBS, which had faced off over a 2024 report on Vice President Kamala Harris, according to TradingView.

Trump's remarks on China underscored a key theme of his second term: leveraging tariffs to reshape global trade. The president announced a reduction in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from 57% to 47%, including a halving of fentanyl-related tariffs to 10%, in exchange for Beijing cracking down on precursor chemicals and resuming soybean purchases, according to the Express Tribune. The deal, struck during a high-stakes meeting with President Xi Jinping in South Korea, also saw China agree to pause rare earth export controls critical for U.S. technology and defense sectors, the Jagran Josh coverage said. Trump framed the agreement as a "reset" of economic relations, emphasizing that "we're going to work together on Ukraine" and other global challenges, the Cryptopolitan piece added.

Domestically, Trump defended his hardline immigration policies, criticizing "liberal judges" for blocking deportations and justifying aggressive ICE tactics, according to USA Today. He also called for abolishing the Senate filibuster to end the government shutdown, accusing Democrats of "crazed lunacy" over funding disputes. On the international front, he signaled military readiness in Venezuela, stating that President Nicolás Maduro's "days are numbered" amid U.S. naval deployments, though he declined to confirm plans for land strikes.

The interview occurred against a backdrop of legal and political turbulence. Trump skipped the Supreme Court hearing challenging the legality of his IEEPA-based tariffs, calling the case "one of the most important in history", as reported by Global Trade Magazine. If ruled unconstitutional, the administration could face refunds exceeding $100 billion in tariff revenue—a windfall that has offset rising federal spending and contributed to a narrower 2025 budget deficit, according to Investing.com. Trump dismissed concerns, asserting that tariffs have fueled record stock market gains and 401(k) growth, claiming, "our economy will go to hell" without them, the Times of India account noted.

Meanwhile, CBS's editorial shake-up under new leader Bari Weiss—hired amid layoffs and a shift toward centrist programming—has drawn scrutiny. Weiss, a former New York Times opinion writer, has prioritized securing interviews with Trump allies like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jared Kushner, as reported by AOL News. The network's decision to cancel Stephen Colbert's Late Show—criticized as a "big fat bribe" by the comedian—has further fueled debates over editorial independence.

Trump's 60 Minutes appearance also touched on his political battles, including a sharp rebuke of New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, whom he labeled a "communist" and threatened to withhold federal funding, according to USA Today. The interview concluded with Trump lauding his administration's achievements, declaring it the "greatest nine months in the history of the presidency."