Return to Transcripts main page

CNN News Central

Trump Sits Down For Wide-Ranging "60 MINUTES" Interview; Uncertainty Grows For SNAP Recipients As Shutdown Enters Fifth Week; U.S. Strikes Another Suspected Drug Boat In Caribbean, Three Killed. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired November 03, 2025 - 07:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[07:30:00]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: So this morning as the government shutdown enters day 34, President Trump, in a brand new interview, is telling "60 MINUTES" that he is ready to negotiate but not until the government is reopened.

This was also the first interview for the president with CBS since he sued the network over his accusation that they deceptively doctored an October 2024 interview with Kamala Harris.

The president also leaned in on his surprise announcement that the United States is now going to restart nuclear testing. His rationale -- he accused Russia and China in this interview of conducting secret nuclear weapons tests so why wouldn't the United States, though not providing evidence of these secret tests.

CNN's Kevin Liptak is at the White House with much more, and there was a lot more to this interview, Kevin. What did he say?

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yeah, it's a pretty expansive interview which, you know, for all the time that the president spends in front of cameras answering questions it's actually pretty rare to see him sit down for this kind of lengthy session. And you're right. The dynamics were interesting. This is the first time that he's sat down with "60 MINUTES" since he walked out on Leslie Stahl in 2020.

The president seemed very aware of the Paramount dynamic there, but it certainly wasn't the focus. The president pressed on a number of topics, including the government shutdown, which this week seems poised to become the longest in history.

The president really not backing down at all, saying that he "won't be extorted by Democrats" and continuing his call on Republicans to eliminate the filibuster -- the 60-vote threshold in the Senate. He doesn't seem swayed by Republican arguments here who are against eliminating the filibuster. He's saying that "Republicans have to get tougher."

He was also pressed about his deportation campaign, including some of those striking visuals of tear gas being deployed. Of immigration agents breaking glass in cars. But he says that in his view it hasn't gone far enough.

Now, one of the most striking moments I think was when the president was asked about this directive to the Pentagon that he issued last week to resume nuclear testing. You know, his rationale has been that the U.S. needs to keep pace with Russia and China despite those countries not having confirmed to nuclear tests for decades. But in the president's mind this needs to be done because Moscow and Beijing are testing in secret.

Listen to what he said there.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Russia has a lot of nuclear weapons and China will have a lot. They have some. They have quite a bit, but they don't have many.

NORAH O'DONNELL, CBS NEW SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: So why do we need to test our nuclear weapons?

TRUMP: Well, because you have to see how they work. You know, you do have to. And the reason I'm saying testing is because Russia announced that they were going to be doing a test. If you notice, North Korea is testing constantly. Other countries are testing. We're the only country that doesn't test and I want to be -- I don't want to be the only country that doesn't test.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LIPTAK: Now the president addressed a couple of other foreign policy areas on Venezuela where we've seen this massive military buildup. He says he doesn't think the U.S. is going to war there but that the President Nicolas Maduro's days are numbered.

And on Taiwan, the president declined to say whether he would send U.S. troops to defend that island if China invades. He says, "You'll find out if it happens" -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yeah, and even on nuclear testing he was -- been contradicted by his energy secretary as well as a leading military officer who would be in charge saying that it's not going to be explosives tests; it's testing the weapons' delivery system. Again, but questions abound.

It's great to see you, Kevin. Thank you so much -- John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. There's brand new CNN polling out this morning on the eve of key off-year elections. It finds that voters think the economy is the most important issue facing the country by far. We have the wrong number up there.

Of the people who say -- well, there you go. Forty-seven percent say that the economy is the most important issue facing the country right now. Nearly half say it's the most important when you ask them what is -- say it's the most important. And in terms of how the president is doing on the economy, 61 percent say the president's policies have worsened economic conditions.

With us now, Desiree Barnes, a former Obama administration aide, and Pete Seat, a former White House spokesperson for President George W. Bush.

Let me see if I can get the order here right so you understand what I'm talking about here. The most important issue facing the country -- 47 percent say it's the economy, Pete. And when you ask people how President Trump's policies are doing on the economy, 61 percent say it's making things worse. That's a pretty bad recipe heading into Election Day.

PETE SEAT, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON FOR PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, VICE PRESIDENT, BOSE PUBLIC AFFAIRS GROUP (via Webex by Cisco): A lot of folks get caught up in the manufactured outrage of Donald Trump and I think that drives polling numbers in the moment.

We saw this lifecycle play out during his first term going into his return into office where polling numbers were down for most of his first term -- in the first presidency of Donald Trump. Yet he was still re-elected and asked to go back into office because in hindsight Americans had much more positive and, dare I say, nostalgic feelings about his work. And I think that will ultimately prove to be the case with this second term as well.

[07:35:18]

BERMAN: I get it if you're talking about approval ratings. Sometimes President Trump -- Donald Trump's ratings, in particularly, are a little bit skewed on the approval side.

But Desiree, when we're talking about the economy, which over time has been an issue that President Trump has polled fairly well in, people now just don't seem happy with their economic condition. And this is a state that's been true through the Biden administration. You had very unhappy voters and we remember what happened there.

DESIREE BARNES, FORMER OBAMA ADMINISTRATION AIDE, FOUNDER, BRKDN STRATEGIES (via Webex by Cisco): Yes. You know, I would say in the words of Jimmy McMillan, the rent is still too damn high. You're paying more at the grocery store and you're getting less. And your health insurance costs are going up. And I think the basic Maslow's hierarchy of needs Americans are struggling to provide that for themselves with just one and two jobs.

And, you know, President Trump mentioned that people's 401(k)s were doubling yesterday in the "60 MINUTES" interview, and that's under the assumption that most of the American public still has a 401(k) and hasn't cashed it out to either cover emergency health care expenses or the rising cost of housing.

So I think people are really uncomfortable and for better or worse, that's why he's phoning it in with these upcoming races. You know, doing tele-rallies instead of hitting the campaign trail for the New Jersey governor or the Virginia governor, or even offering an endorsement because I think he's much of a liability. BERMAN: Pete, to what extent do you think President Trump comes across as focused on the economy, which most Americans say is the biggest issue facing the country?

SEAT: Well, the challenge for any president is that they are tasked with, frankly, far too much domestically and internationally. They and their teams are going to be focused domestically on issues like the economy, immigration, health care, taxes, et cetera, but they can't take their eye off the ball overseas either because our adversaries and enemies are trying to exploit any opportunity to take down the United States of America.

And if a president isn't doing everything all at once we could find ourselves in the midst of calamity and very, very bad situations. And then, of course, what happens? The fingers are pointed at the president. Why weren't you focused over there? You were too focused over here.

So this is not the first president that has a lot of balls that they're juggling at once, but I think Donald Trump is doing a pretty darn good job.

BERMAN: Desiree, last night President Trump was on "60 MINUTES." He was asked about the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City, Zohran Mamdani. Listen to his answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'DONNELL: But what if Mamdani becomes mayor?

TRUMP: It's going to be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York because if you have a communist running New York all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there. So I don't know that he's won. And I'm not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other. But if it's going to between a bad Democrat and a communist, I'm going to pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So that was last night. Obviously, the election is tomorrow. The Mamdani campaign basically already came out and said thank you, President Trump, for more or less endorsing Andrew Cuomo. That helps us in New York City.

BARNES: Uh, yeah. You know, I'm not sure that's the take I would have had if I was with the Mamdani campaign. I would have seen it more so as that's interesting he didn't endorse the Republican candidate in the race. And so if anything, I would be worried that collapses the Republican vote for Cuomo. I'm not sure that Cuomo will be able to win regardless. But yeah, interesting, right?

BERMAN: Desiree, what do you think the messaging will be Wednesday morning? Obviously, we don't know what the election results will be but say the Democrats do as well as you hope they do and they win in Virginia and New Jersey, and New York City. How much of it will be overshadowed by a Mamdani win? BARNES: Uh, you know, I don't put it past the public to find the shiny object but really, I think New Jersey and Virginia are more bellwethers for the rest of the country and what's going to happen with the future of the Democratic Party in terms of messaging and them able to ruthlessly pivot back to the economy while still managing a very moderate and rural electorate.

[07:40:00]

But I would say that, yes, I think for generationally -- especially as myself as a city kid and, you know, I would say it will be a big deal. It will send a lot of messages. I know that Speaker Jeffries said that he did not believe that Zohran was the future of the Democratic Party. While I think he is just a fragment of what the future of the Democratic Party could hold. Whether people like it or not, he is the Democratic nominee.

So I think if anything, Virginia and New Jersey, and those election results will give Democrats the ability to firm up some better messaging for the future that will be more broadly appealing, I think.

BERMAN: Desiree Barnes, Pete Seat, thanks so much for being with us. Pete, I am sure you will be talking about Zohran Mamdani after tomorrow. I look forward to those discussions -- Kate.

SEAT: (INAUDIBLE).

BOLDUAN: I think he said absolutely, John.

BERMAN: He said yes, for sure.

BOLDUAN: Yeah, for sure.

There is also new concerns this morning that AI is going to wipe out white-collar jobs, especially after the recent massive layoffs and downsizings announced at several major companies. But Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon says -- tells CNN in a new interview he doesn't think it's all doom and gloom.

CNN's Matt Egan has this interview and new reporting. What is Solomon saying? What's the point?

MATT EGAN, CNN SENIOR REPORT: Well Kate, as you mentioned, there's just so much fear right now about --

BOLDUAN: Yes.

EGAN: -- AI killing jobs, and those fears have only been amplified by the AI-linked mass layoffs and downsizings at Meta and Amazon, Salesforce, YouTube, and a whole bunch of other companies.

But the CEO of Goldman Sachs -- he's tapping the brakes on the gloom and doom a bit. He told me that yes, AI is likely to hurt demand for office workers --

BOLDUAN: Um-hum. EGAN: -- but he is hopeful that the workforce will evolve.

He said, "There will be disruption. But I'm a big believer that our economy is very nimble, very flexible. And when you look at the technology that has flooded over hundreds of years into our society, we adapt."

For instance, Solomon pointed to the disruption caused by the invention of the steam engine, which helped fuel the first industrial evolution but -- revolution, but it also wiped out a lot of agriculture jobs, a lot of stagecoach driving jobs, windmill operators, right? And yet the economy evolved over time.

So, Solomon said, "We find new businesses. We find new jobs. I don't believe it will be different this time."

Of course, that disruption -- that transition --

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

EGAN: -- it can be painful if not for the CEOs for the rank-and-file --

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

EGAN: -- workers. And Solomon -- he did acknowledge that the AI revolution is moving so fast and that AI is being adopted so rapidly that this disruption -- it could be higher in the short term --

BOLDUAN: Hmm.

EGAN: -- this time around.

Still though, this is a more optimistic take than we've heard from some others. The Anthropic CEO --

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

EGAN: -- he had warned of a jobs wipeout caused --

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

EGAN: -- by AI, right. That could lift unemployment to 20 percent and wipe out half of all entry-level jobs in white-collar professions. And so far this year we are seeing AI-linked layoffs, right?

Challenger, Gray & Christmas has a layoff tracker, right, and they say that about 17,000 layoff announcements through the end of September of this year have been blamed on AI. And that likely undercounts things because there's another 20,000 layoffs that have been announced that have been blamed on just technology broadly.

BOLDUAN: Oh.

EGAN: And Goldman Sachs does a survey of their bankers where they do expect that over the next year there's going to be about a four percent -- a modest reduction in headcounts. But over the next three years that's going to go up to 11 percent.

So look, Kate, I think bottom line, no one has a crystal ball here --

BOLDUAN: No -- of course, not.

EGAN: -- especially because of how fast things are moving --

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

EGAN: -- but the consequences here are massive.

BOLDUAN: Well, yeah, when you're comparing it to the invention of the steam engine --

EGAN: Yes.

BOLDUAN: -- and, like, the invention of the internet. You can see kind of how -- what a shift is coming no matter what.

EGAN: Kind of a big deal.

BOLDUAN: Yes, slightly.

Good to see you.

EGAN: Thanks, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Thank you. Good interview -- John.

BERMAN: All right. An air disaster that killed more than 200 people. Only one person walked away and this morning he is speaking for the first time.

And why a woman shot and killed a monkey that was in her yard.

(COMMERCIAL)

[07:48:32]

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: This morning millions of Americans who rely on SNAP benefits, formerly known as food stamps, are dealing with fear and uncertainty about whether they will have enough food for their families. The government shutdown is in week five and for the first time ever there has been no move to fund this important program.

Three million people should have received their SNAP benefits on Saturday. They did not. And the remaining SNAP recipients of which there are about 42 million who get their payments on a staggered basis during the month also are in the dark as to whether they'll receive those payments.

Last week two judges ruled that the Trump administration must tap into emergency funds for the roughly 42 million Americans who receive food stamp aid but it's unclear whether they'll get their full benefits and when. We're hearing a lot from people, including "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" star Michael Che who says growing up, his family received food stamps as the programs were called then.

He wrote this. "This SNAP freeze is really f-ed up and I keep seeing a lot of racist videos celebrating mostly Black families not being able to buy groceries. There's this weird idea that since some people have taken advantage of welfare benefits in the hood, nobody should receive help at all."

Joining me now is Natasha McClendon. She is the mother of two who receives SNAP benefits. First, to you, you're one of the two million people in Illinois, where you live, to get supplemental nutrition assistance program, otherwise known as SNAP.

Why do you need it?

[07:50:00]

NATASHA MCLENDON, SNAP RECIPIENT (via Webex by Cisco): Uh, yes. I need it because I work as substitute teacher assistant, so my income is not that much rate than an average teacher assistant. I only get paid according to the days that I work for, and I'm only allowed to work 7.25 hours. And I don't get paid overtime, and I don't get paid when the students are out of school. So therefore, my access to food -- my check is only covering rent, bills, and uptake of my children.

My husband also is permanently disabled and he receives -- he received Social Security benefits. So therefore, with the combined income, it's not enough to cover the cost of food for that month, so I rely on SNAP benefits to provide food for my house. So that means my husband and my children will be able to eat.

And with this mess that's going on within Washington, and Trump, and Republicans and the Democrats, it's really impacting me and other people like me who are in the same position that I am in.

SIDNER: You said that you work as a substitute teacher. You have two daughters in school. Your husband is permanently disabled.

How will you feed your family now without the SNAP benefits?

MCLENDON: Well, technically speaking, we got the riff raff over the weekend on Saturday. And yesterday morning, I had to go to the grocery store because right now there is nothing in my refrigerator. And the amount that I spent on the little food that I was able to get is totally outrageous. To spend $125 and don't -- and I'm looking at what I bought and said how in the world am I going to go forward when the food that I bought is only enough for a week.

SIDNER: Yeah. It's got to be really terrifying just having to deal with that idea that you just might have enough.

Natasha McClendon, we're going to keep in touch with you to see how things are going as we go throughout this but thank you for taking the time to speak with us. I know this is a really hard thing to talk about when you're sort of sitting there wondering what's going to happen with you and your family. I really appreciate it. Take care of yourself -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: So the U.S. military has cared out -- carried out yet another deadly strike on what officials say was a narco trafficking vessel in the Caribbean. The Defense Department saying that three people were killed in the strike. It happened Saturday. This is now the 15th strike like this since the president started the campaign led -- against alleged drug traffickers in early September.

And during his interview with "60 MINUTES" President Trump said this about whether he is ready to redirect those strikes, expanding them from the sea to the land.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'DONNELL: And this issue of potential land strikes in Venezuela -- is that true?

TRUMP: I don't tell you that. I mean, I'm not saying it's true or untrue. But I -- you know, I wouldn't -- I wouldn't --

O'DONNELL: Why would we do it?

TRUMP: -- wouldn't be inclined to say that I would do that but -- because I don't talk to a reporter about whether or not I'm going to strike.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Joining me right now is CNN senior military analyst, Admiral James Stavridis, the former supreme allied commander and partner at the Caryle Group, an international investment firm. It's great to see you again.

So the president now saying -- in this same interview he said, "Maduro's days are numbered." He does hint that the strike -- hinting at the strike plans now, though not confirming. But we've heard over and over, and you and I have discussed this, that they -- that he and those around him have been threatening that this could soon go to be land strikes in Venezuela.

I think you told me in the past week when we talked that you see a 50 percent chance-ish that this becomes a land battle. I mean, what are the odds now today, do you think?

ADMIRAL JAMES STAVRIDIS (RET.), CNN SENIOR MILITARY ANALYST, FORMER NATO SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER (RET.), PARTNER, CARLYLE GROUP (via Webex by Cisco): I think it's a 70 percent -- 7-0 percent chance that we will conduct these strikes, Kate.

I think the only limiting factor at this point from a military perspective, the carrier, USS Ford, is not yet on station. They're headed into the Atlantic. It'll take them five-plus days, maybe seven to get on station. I think at that point all the pieces are in place. The Pentagon would say the table is set for strikes. And I think at that point President Trump has a big decision to make.

[07:55:00]

Final thought, Kate. He probably is not going to at least immediately go after leadership targets. He's probably going to confine these strikes to where the drugs are coming from -- so seaports, command and control. He'll tie it to the counternarcotics campaign. I think he'll then pause, turn to Maduro, and say last exit before the tunnel.

BOLDUAN: Geez. I mean, you talk about the USS Ford, which this is an important part about this that you've been highlighting -- just the sheer buildup of American military power in the Caribbean now.

With the Ford headed that way, I mean, if this is all focused in the Caribbean, is something else being overlooked? Is this creating blind spots elsewhere?

STAVRIDIS: Absolutely. And our limited number of aircraft carrier strike groups are arguably the greatest flexible military tool we have. So when you pull the Ford out of the Mediterranean you lose the ability, for example, to use it in the Middle East. Let's say Iran begins some new nefarious activity. You are sending a signal to Putin that U.S. military isn't as strong as it could be in the European theater.

So absolutely, Kate, these are assets that one has to distribute very carefully. Historically, in a crisis, the first thing the president asks is where are the carriers? In this case, the biggest and the newest one in the world is headed straight for the coast of Venezuela.

BOLDUAN: Hmm.

Also, the defense secretary announced this weekend that he is working with his Chinese counterpart now to create a new U.S.-China military communications system. Hegseth -- the way Hegseth described it was a -- "as military-to-military channels to deconflict and deescalate any problems that arise." And he also said that the U.S.-China -- "U.S.- China relations had never been better."

What does this mean? When you -- if you -- when you heard this announcement what did you think?

STAVRIDIS: I heard good news. And we've had those kind of deconfliction channels with Russia certainly during the Cold War and even recently with China, but they were severed over the last couple of years.

So this is good news if we're allowed to talk about good news once in a while. It's good news that the U.S. and China militaries are coming together and having a conversation. And frankly, I saw the photo spray from the meeting Secretary Hegseth had with his counterpart. The body language looked pretty good. It's better to talk, talk, talk than to go to war, war, war, as Winston Churchill said.

BOLDUAN: It's always good news when you're on, Admiral. That is the good news. It's good to see you again. Thank you so much -- John. BERMAN: All right. This morning a search for two suspects is underway after what authorities are calling an intentional explosion at Harvard Medical School. Police say two masked individuals were seen fleeing the scene after a fire alarm went off. There was a small explosion in the hallway. It did not cause any structural damage. The FBI now taking part in this investigation.

A woman in Mississippi shot and killed a monkey in her yard. She says she feared for the safety of her children because she had been warned the monkey carried diseases. Now a group of medical research monkeys were on the run after a truck carrying them crashed. That's the picture you're looking at. This is the crash and all those monkeys got away. At least two are still on the loose.

Now authorities do say they're not infectious despite the fears that have circulated in these states. They're not infectious but that they should be neutralized because of the breed's aggressive nature.

This morning two young girls have been hospitalized after being thrown from a Ferris wheel in Louisiana. Witnesses say the basket they were in tilted before spilling the girls to the ground. No word yet on what caused all of this to happen.

In India, the sole survivor of the Air India crash that killed 241 people says it's a miracle he's still alive. Speaking with the BBC -- this is his first interview since the crash -- he called himself the luckiest man alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VISWASH KUMAR RAMESH, AIR INDIA CRASH SURVIVOR: I lost everything, like happiness. God gave me life but took all my happiness from my family. It completely broke down my family after this crash here. It's a very difficult time for me and my family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: When the plane went down back in June, he was sitting just seats away from his brother who died in the crash. The survivor says he now suffers from post traumatic stress.

In New Jersey, a police officer saved a drowning dog from icy waters. Video shows the Atlantic City officer swimming nearly 100 yards through a strong current and finally there reaching the dog.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT SCHMIDT, ATLANTIC CITY POLICE OFFICER: Once I had him in my control, I'm just basically talking to him. I'm like, "OK, buddy. Just help me. Just swim with me, not away from me. Don't make this double hard."