Trump Admits Deportation Policy Was 'Too Tough' Despite Promotion of Stephen Miller - The Guardian

Midterm Setbacks Force Immigration Pivot

President Donald Trump acknowledged that his administration’s hardline deportation crackdown was “too tough,” marking a sharp rhetorical shift after Republicans lost control of both the House and Senate in the midterm elections.

Speaking in an interview with Ross Douthat on CBS’s 60 Minutes broadcast on Sunday, Trump admitted that aggressive operations had become a political liability. While he maintained that closing the border and removing serious criminals earned high marks from voters, the removal of people who had established lives and jobs in the US hurt the party at the ballot box.

Voter polling on election day showed immigration ranked as the third most important issue behind the economy and the state of democracy. In traditionally conservative states like Texas, more Latino voters chose Democrats, helping the opposition win large majorities in Congress.

Striking Deals with Congressional Democrats

Following the electoral defeat, Trump expressed a willingness to negotiate an immigration arrangement with congressional Democrats. He suggested that an agreement could allow long-term undocumented residents—such as those working in sectors such as hospitality and landscaping for 10 or 15 years—to remain in the country legally.

1/ I'll explain exactly how this happened because I'm the person at Forbes who calculates these numbers. This is going to take some unraveling, but here's a spoiler: The president's answer here is nonsense. https://t.co/X5tz4shHzz

— Post by @DanAlexander21 on X

“Let the people that are here, and in some cases here for 10 and 15 years, work a deal for them,” Trump said on 60 Minutes. He added that such a compromise is “actually doable” and noted that several Democrats, including Texas Senator-elect James Talarico, had already contacted him regarding potential cooperation.

When asked if he could refrain from insulting Democratic lawmakers for six months to secure a legislative package, Trump replied, “Very easily.” However, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sharply criticized the president’s overtures. Schumer pointed out the contradiction between Trump’s conciliatory remarks and his decision to appoint Stephen Miller—the primary architect of the administration’s hardline immigration policies—as White House chief of staff.

Weighing Global Conflict and Economic Messaging

Beyond domestic policy, Trump attributed the Republican congressional losses to external factors, specifically pointing to the war with Iran, gas prices, and a “great dislike, incredibly, for Israel.” Despite the short-term political costs, the president defended his decision to prevent Iran from having a nuclear weapon, asserting that his answer to whether it should be prevented was an “emphatic yes.”

“My answer is an emphatic yes because you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

On the economic front, Trump conceded that his administration struggled to communicate its achievements effectively. “I think it was bad messaging, maybe by me,” he told interviewers.

Future Political Landscape and Personal Wealth

Looking toward the 2028 presidential succession, Trump stated he had not decided whether to endorse a candidate, suggesting he might be better off not getting involved. He praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio as doing a “fantastic job” while expressing confidence that the MAGA movement would endure.