Trump on 60 Minutes: "tremendous numbers of pardons," self-pardon "not unreasonable," Jan. 6 rioters "rough to them too," and an unnamed AI chief told to "go to jail" (Nov. 8, 2026)

Case

In his Nov. 8, 2026 60 Minutes interview with Ross Douthat, Trump said he intends to issue "tremendous numbers of pardons" before leaving office, called a self-pardon "not unreasonable," and said of Jan. 6 defendants who attacked police that "they were rough to them too." He also said his administration told the head of "one of the big" AI companies to "get ready to go to jail," without naming anyone or giving evidence.

Pardons and Jan. 6 (60 Minutes, aired Nov. 8, 2026)
Asked by Ross Douthat whether he expects to issue many pardons when he leaves office, Trump answered "Yes, I do," and said, "I intend to issue tremendous numbers of pardons."
Asked whether he expects to pardon himself, Trump said, "I don't," and, asked whether he has the power to, said "not unreasonable. I do."
Trump said, "I pardoned the J6ers" and "I don't think any group's been treated more unfairly than them." Asked whether even those who attacked police officers were treated unfairly, he said, "there were some that got rough, but, you know, they were rough to them too."
ABC reports Trump said the pardons could cover people who "got within a thousand miles of the Oval Office" and that he does not want good people to spend their lives defending themselves against "radical left lunatics."
ABC notes that on re-entering office in January 2025 Trump commuted the sentences of 14 Jan. 6 defendants and offered "a full, complete and unconditional pardon" to others convicted of related offenses.

Unnamed AI executive told to "go to jail"
Trump said his administration called an executive "very strongly and said, 'Get ready to go to jail. Please give your wife a kiss good night.'" Asked whether it was a leader of a major AI company, he said, "One of the big ones. Yeah." He declined to name the person ("I can't tell you") and said, "I don't think it was done maliciously."
Yahoo News reports the White House, the Justice Department and the company speculated about have not confirmed who Trump meant; it says the identification of any specific executive is speculation and that no criminal wrongdoing has been established.

Perspectives

Official position — President Trump (in the interview)
Trump's stated rationale is that people who serve the country should not spend their lives defending themselves against "radical left lunatics," as he says he had to for four years. On Jan. 6 he says no group has been treated more unfairly, and that those who clashed with police were treated roughly in return. On the AI executive, he said it was a warning delivered strongly and that he does not think it was done maliciously.

Note
Trump says the pardons would protect people from "radical left lunatics"; critics' reactions were not found in the reporting reviewed. He did not name the AI executive; any identification is speculation.

Sources
[1] CBS News — Full transcript of Ross Douthat's interview with President Trump (60 Minutes) (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/read-the-full-transcript-of-ross-douthats-interview-with-president-trump/) · 2026-11-08
[2] ABC News — Trump says he plans 'tremendous numbers' of pardons in 2nd half of term (https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-plans-tremendous-numbers-pardons-2nd-half-term/story?id=137968247) · 2026-11-09
[3] Yahoo News — Did Trump want Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei jailed? The clues are adding up (https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/did-trump-want-anthropic-ceo-115234503.html) · 2026-11-09

Connections

Related — Jan. 6, 2021 and Trump's rhetoric: the impeachment, the committee, the court rulings, the pardons, and later incidents at his events (2021-2026)
Trump's Nov. 8 remarks about the Jan. 6 defendants he pardoned add to the record of his Jan. 6 statements.

Same context — Trump on 60 Minutes: says he could work with Democrats "very easily" without insulting them, then repeats "Dumbocrats" (Nov. 8, 2026)
Different segments of the same Nov. 8 Douthat interview.

Same context — Trump says he would pardon aides and Musk if Democrats target them after the midterms; "we'll have to protect them" (Nov. 2, 2026)
Both record Trump's statements about using pardons to protect allies, here from his Nov. 8 60 Minutes interview and there from Nov. 2.