President Donald Trump’s post-midterms interview with Ross Douthat on “60 Minutes” drew 7.8 million viewers Sunday, the second-smallest audience for an episode featuring Trump since 2015, according to Nielsen Big Data + Panel figures. The broadcast also attracted 918,000 adults ages 25–54.
Viewership fell 44% from Trump’s November 2025 interview, which drew nearly 14 million viewers following a high-profile NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills. Sunday’s audience was up 5% from his April 2026 appearance, which drew 7.4 million viewers during the NFL offseason.
The Nov. 8 episode was also down 26% from the previous week’s “60 Minutes” broadcast on Nov. 1, which attracted 10.5 million viewers. On social media, the Trump interview has reached 195 million video views across “60 Minutes” social platforms.
Sunday’s “60 Minutes” featured Trump’s first sitdown interview since Democrats took back the Senate and House of Representatives in the 2026 midterm elections. During the discussion, the President acknowledged missteps in his administration’s immigration crackdown and messaging on the economy, while defending the war in Iran and refusing to forgive his political enemies.
CBS News correspondent Ross Douthat repeatedly pushed back on the president’s answers, questioning his role in the Republican defeats and his growing personal wealth before touching on an unusually personal discussion about death and heaven.
Trump initially responded to a question about his mortality by expressing hope that he’ll be remembered fondly. Douthat pushed back, clarifying he was asking what Trump believed would happen to him personally after death, rather than how he would be remembered. The president said he hoped to go to heaven.
“60 Minutes” marked its sixth time as the No. 1 non-sports primetime program in viewers and adults 18 and up — a usual placement for the show given its post-NFL timeslot. The episode also featured Trevor Phillips’ report on the protests in France, including an interview with far-right National Rally Leader Marine Le Pen.
“60 Minutes” airs Sundays on CBS and streams on Paramount+.
