Trump offers no new ideas to end government shutdown on '60 Minutes'

Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News on Nov 3, 2025

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President Donald Trump offered no new ideas to end the government shutdown and shrugged off demands by Democrats to address skyrocketing Obamacare insurance premiums in an interview on CBS News’ “60 Minutes.”

Echoing Republican talking points, Trump said he “won’t be extorted” by the opposition party into negotiations to reopen the government even as the shutdown heads into a second month with government workers not receiving paychecks and 42 milllion people missing food assistance.

“I think they have to (cave),” Trump said. “And if they don’t … it’s their problem.”

The presidents offered only vague promises to address spiraling health insurance costs, an issue that has bedeviled him since before he even took office for his first term in 2017.

“We will work on fixing the bad healthcare that we have,” Trump said. “Right now, we have terrible healthcare and too expensive for the people.”

Trump repeated his call for GOP congressional leaders to end the filibuster rule in the Senate, which requires a 60-vote supermajority for most legislation.

“Republicans have to get tougher,” Trump told CBS. “If we end the filibuster, we can do exactly what we want.”

Scrapping the filibuster would allow the GOP to end the shutdown unilaterally, but Senate Republicans warn that ending it would give Democrats the green light to pass controversial policies of their own when or if they retake control of Congress.

With the shutdown nearing an all-time record, some Capitol Hill observers predict both sides may seek to reach a compromise later this week after voters go to the polls in off-year elections in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City.

Trump also vowed to resume nuclear testing after a 35-year pause and falsely accused geopolitical rivals of testing nuclear weapons when they have actually only tested missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, a crucial distinction.

“Russia’s testing nuclear weapons,” Trump said. “And China’s testing them, too. You just don’t know about it.”

The president defended his campaign of retribution against political rivals, including ordering up spurious probes of former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

“I think I’ve been very mild-mannered,” Trump said.