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Trump admits deportation crackdown was ‘too tough’ after Republicans' midterm setbacks
In a 60 Minutes interview, President Donald Trump defended his economic and foreign policy record but acknowledged criticism about immigration enforcement.
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President Donald Trump acknowledged that his administration’s deportation policies may have gone too far, days after Republicans suffered major losses in the midterm elections. In an interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes on Sunday, Trump defended his border security record but admitted his immigration crackdown had created political challenges.
He said his policies helped secure the border but acknowledged that some voters opposed the removal of immigrants who had jobs, paid taxes and committed only immigration violations.
“I think it was too tough,” Trump said when asked about his deportation policies.
Deep Dive
The comments came after exit polling showed concerns over immigration policy among voters. According to CBS News, 58% of voters said the Trump administration’s immigration actions had gone too far. The issue affected support among some Latino voters who had backed Trump in 2024 but shifted toward Democrats in key races.
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‘For getting people out, I get very high marks for getting the bad ones out’
During the interview with correspondent Ross Douthat, Trump said he deserved strong marks for reducing illegal border crossings.
“I think I got an A+ for closing up the border,” Trump said.
However, he acknowledged that his administration faced criticism for deporting people who had built lives in the United States despite lacking legal status.
Trump said some Americans supported removing undocumented immigrants, while others believed people should be allowed to stay if they worked, paid taxes and contributed to their communities. “I get very high marks for getting the bad ones out,” Trump said. “But I get hurt because we also took people that had good jobs.”
The comments came as Trump’s immigration strategy faces growing political pressure. His 2024 presidential campaign relied heavily on promises to expand deportations and strengthen border enforcement.
But the administration’s aggressive approach has faced criticism from Democrats, immigrant advocates and some voters who argue the policies affected people without serious criminal records.
Trump also suggested he would be open to working with Democrats on immigration legislation. “I’d love to do something on immigration,” he said during the interview.
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Stephen Miller takes White House role after Wiles departure
The interview aired shortly before Trump announced a major White House staffing change.
Trump replaced White House chief of staff Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller, one of his closest advisers and a key figure behind his administration’s immigration agenda.
Miller has long supported stricter immigration enforcement and previously pushed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to increase arrests. CBS News reported that Miller had urged ICE to conduct thousands of arrests daily during Trump’s second administration.
The leadership change raised questions about whether Trump’s immigration approach would continue unchanged despite his admission that the policy had created political difficulties.
Trump also defended his handling of the economy and the Iran war during the interview. However, he acknowledged that his administration had struggled with economic messaging.
The president’s comments followed a difficult election cycle for Republicans, who faced voter concerns over inflation, affordability and immigration. Trump said his administration had delivered on key promises but conceded that some messages had not reached voters effectively.
