Trump Makes False Claims in “60 Minutes” Interview

In his latest “60 Minutes” interview with CBS News, former President Donald Trump presented viewers with a barrage of inaccurate statements spanning the economy, foreign policy, and his political record. The 90-minute interview with Norah O’Donnell, which aired for 28 minutes on television Sunday, contained at least 18 false claims, most of which have been previously debunked.

Trump repeated his thoroughly disproven assertion that the 2020 election was stolen from him, a claim rejected by courts, election officials, and his own former administration members. When challenged by O’Donnell on grocery prices, Trump insisted they are “going down,” despite federal data showing the opposite. The latest Consumer Price Index figures indicate food prices increased by 0.3% from August to September and are up 2.7% from a year ago.

On inflation, Trump falsely declared “we have no inflation” and “we’re down to 2%, even less than 2%.” Official data contradicts both statements, with the year-over-year inflation rate currently at 3%, having worsened since hitting a four-year low in April.

Trump also inflated figures about foreign investment in the United States, claiming “$17 trillion is being invested in the US right now.” The White House’s own website lists major investment announcements during Trump’s term at just $8.9 trillion, and a CNN review found even this figure includes vague pledges about bilateral trade rather than actual U.S. investments.

The former president continued to misrepresent who pays for his tariffs on Chinese goods. Despite his claims that China bears the cost, economic research from multiple sources—including the nonpartisan U.S. International Trade Commission—consistently shows that American importers pay the tariffs, often passing costs to consumers. One study found U.S. businesses and consumers bore almost the entire burden of Trump’s first-term tariffs on Chinese products.

Immigration claims also failed fact-checking scrutiny. Trump stated each migrant boat from Venezuela contains “enough fentanyl to kill millions of Americans,” though experts note this figure plainly exaggerates the actual quantities. He also falsely claimed President Biden allowed “25 million” migrants into the country, more than double the actual number documented by border authorities.

In discussing his presidential record, Trump made several demonstrably false assertions. He claimed to have ended “eight wars,” though his list includes situations that weren’t wars and at least one conflict that continues. He also stated he invoked the Insurrection Act “ten times,” when no individual president has invoked it more than six times, with that record set by President Ulysses S. Grant in the 1800s.

Trump incorrectly claimed CBS aired an edited interview with Vice President Kamala Harris “two days” before the election, though it was actually more than four full weeks prior. He falsely stated former President Joe Biden gave $350 billion in aid to Ukraine, when the actual figure is well under half that amount.

The interview also contained additional misrepresentations about artificial intelligence, the government shutdown, tariffs, his first impeachment, and his previous legal battle with “60 Minutes” itself.

While O’Donnell challenged some of Trump’s assertions during the interview, the sheer volume of inaccurate claims highlights the ongoing challenge of real-time fact-checking in television interviews. The full interview transcript, which CBS posted online, reveals the extent to which factual accuracy was compromised throughout the lengthy exchange.

Trump’s interview comes at a critical point in the presidential race, with recent polls showing a tight contest between him and Vice President Harris with just weeks remaining before Election Day. Political analysts note that the uncorrected spread of misinformation could significantly impact voters’ perceptions as they make their final decisions at the ballot box.

Media watchdog organizations have emphasized the importance of thorough fact-checking in campaign coverage, particularly as both candidates make their final pitches to undecided voters in key swing states.