Politics
Trump Says Deportation Policy 'Might Have Been Too Tough' After Midterm Losses, Floats Immigration Deal With Democrats
In his first major interview since Republicans lost both chambers of Congress, President Trump conceded his deportation crackdown may have gone too far and said an immigration deal with Democrats is 'doable' â then named hard-liner Stephen Miller as chief of staff.
President Donald Trump said in his first major interview since Republicans lost control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections that his administration may have been too aggressive on deportations, and that he believes he can negotiate some form of immigration agreement with the new Democratic majority.
Speaking to CBS's "60 Minutes" in an interview that aired Sunday, Trump said his deportation policy contributed to his party's losses. "I think it might be too tough, yeah," he said.
He added that he thinks an agreement with Democrats is achievable. "The deal would be we would work something out. And I think it's something -- I think that's something that's actually doable," he said. Trump offered no specifics about what such a deal would include.
Shortly after taping the interview on Friday, Trump named Stephen Miller, the key architect of his hard-line immigration agenda, as his new chief of staff. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer seized on the timing, writing on social media Sunday: "Trump says his immigration crackdown went too far. Apparently, his solution was to put the man responsible for it in charge of the White House. That's not a course correction. That's a promotion."
Immigration enforcement was a defining feature of Trump's return to office, with major operations in multiple cities driving arrests sharply higher. Two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during protests against those operations. Democrats have said oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security will be a priority in the new Congress.
Trump said he believes "killers" and "drug dealers" in the country illegally should be deported, but suggested he was open to allowing others to stay "if they're good people working in a landscaping company, or working in a hotel, or doing something, right? And in some cases, paying taxes."
On the Republican race to succeed him in 2028, Trump hinted he may stay neutral. Asked whether he would endorse a potential successor, he said "probably, not necessarily." He praised the party's "tremendous bench" and, aside from Vice President JD Vance, named only Secretary of State Marco Rubio as a possible contender. "I think Marco's great," Trump said. "But there are many others and I'd rather not mention their names." He added: "So I may or may not get involved. I don't know. Maybe I'm better off not getting involved."
Trump also brushed aside questions about his personal wealth, which Democrats sought to make a midterm campaign issue. About half of voters nationally said government corruption was "crucial" to their vote for Congress, according to the AP Voter Poll. Asked how his net worth rose by $3 billion since returning to the White House, Trump said he pays little attention to it and that his sons manage the family business. "I devote almost no time to my net worth. I don't care," he said. Asked whether foreign investors in the company he co-owns with his sons are trying to buy influence, he said: "I don't know. But that's true -- look, every president has a problem."
Trump, who survived an assassination attempt while campaigning in 2024 and has repeatedly lashed out at political opponents, was asked whether he could forgive his enemies. He said it would be easy to say yes, but added: "I probably cannot do that, no, because I do hate some of my enemies, and I always will."