The White House · Report · File No. 261109-413
Trump says MAGA can carry on without him, days after GOP midterm losses
In his first interview since Democrats won the House and Senate, Trump said the MAGA movement can outlast him. He would not say whether he will pick a 2028 favorite.
Every quote in this story (2) was matched word for word against its source. How we work
President Trump said Sunday night that the MAGA movement can go on without him. He made the remark in a CBS "60 Minutes" interview with correspondent Ross Douthat. It was Trump's first sit-down interview since Democrats won control of the House and Senate 1.
The interview was taped Friday at the White House and aired Sunday 1. Douthat asked whether Trump thought there could be MAGA without him as the leader. MAGA stands for "Make America Great Again," Trump's political movement 2.
MAGA is basically common sense, you know? MAGA's strong borders, good military.
Trump described the movement as a set of ideas, not as a person. He then said the country had created wealth at a level it had never seen before 2.
No heir named, and no promise to endorse
Trump did not say whether he will back a candidate in the 2028 Republican race. He said he "may or may not get involved." He also said he has a "tremendous bench" of possible successors 1.
From Channel GOPTrump's 'find 11,780 votes' call played at hearingDonald Trump · 310 plays · captioned, with the source named
Maybe I’m better off not getting involved
Asked who was on that list besides the vice president, Trump named only Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He said Rubio would likely stay in his current job. He declined to name anyone else 1.
Trump never mentioned Vice President JD Vance by name, and he did not rule Vance in or out 1. The omission came four days after Vance wrote on X that "the reason we lost is the war," meaning the U.S. war with Iran 1. Trump said he told Vance to "write what you feel" 1.
The losses behind the question
Two Senate candidates Trump backed won their primaries this year and then lost on Tuesday 1. In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton lost to Democrat James Talarico, the first Democrat to win a Texas Senate race since 1988. In South Carolina, Trump-backed Sen. Darline Graham lost to Democrat Annie Andrews, the first Democrat that state has sent to the Senate since 1998 1.
Trump said he believes his endorsement "would play a big role" if he gave one, because "People I endorse get nominations." Those two losses test that claim in the general election 1.
In the same interview, Trump said his deportation policy "might be too tough." Asked whether he expects to fire anyone after the midterms, he said yes. He said he would make a few changes to his Cabinet 2.
What happens next
No Republican has formally entered the 2028 race. Vance has said he would decide on a run after the midterms, and that point has now arrived. Rubio has said he would defer to Vance if the vice president runs 1.
Polls taken before the election put Vance at 38 percent, Rubio at 26 percent and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 8 percent in national Republican primary polling, according to the RealClearPolling average 1. Polymarket, a betting site, gave Vance a 32 percent chance of winning the nomination Sunday evening. That is down from 56 percent when the market opened in July 2025 1.
That matters because Trump cannot run again. The 22nd Amendment bars a third term 1. His comments suggest he wants MAGA to outlive his presidency while he keeps his influence over who leads it.
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Sources
- Newsweek, “Trump Asked Who Should Succeed Him. Here’s What He Said” (2026-11-09). newsweek.com/trump-asked-who-should-succeed-him-what-he-said
- WGHN, “60 Minutes Transcript: Trump, the 2026 post-midterms interview” (2026-11-08). wghn.com/2026/11/08/60-minutes-transcript-trump-the-2026-pos
Found an error? Tell the newsroom. Corrections are noted at the top of the story.
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In a 60 Minutes interview, Trump said he might be "better off not getting involved" in the 2028 Republican primary. Two of his Senate picks lost on Nov. 3, and his word has long decided who wins the party's nomination.
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