Trump Concedes Deportation Crackdown Went “Too Far,” Offers Immigration Deal After Midterm Losses
Following a heavy Republican defeat in the midterm elections, President Donald Trump has publicly acknowledged that his aggressive deportation policies were “too harsh” and has signaled willingness to negotiate a compromise with Democrats on immigration.
In a Sunday interview on CBS’s 60 Minutes, Trump told correspondent Ross Douthat that the hardline approach had damaged him politically. He indicated openness to some form of legal status that would allow certain undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States.
When asked whether the deportation campaign had gone too far, Trump replied: “I think it was too harsh. Yes, I think maybe it was too harsh. Plenty of people would say it was great, but a lot of others think it was too harsh.”
The comments amount to a rare, direct admission that one of the administration’s signature policies has become a political liability. The concession stands in contrast to Trump’s decision last Friday to elevate Stephen Miller — the principal architect of the hardline immigration agenda — to the role of White House Chief of Staff.
Since Trump returned to office, large-scale ICE operations at workplaces, homes, and public locations have swept up individuals with no criminal records, separated families, and created widespread fear in immigrant communities. During operations in Minneapolis this year, two U.S. citizens — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — were fatally shot by federal agents.
Trump described the overall policy as one that “both helped and hurt.” He noted that he received strong marks for “closing the border” and for “deporting the bad guys,” but added: “It hurts me because we also picked up people who had good jobs and whose only offense — their only violation — was that they entered the country illegally.”
Separately, Trump insisted that an earlier remark about naming UFC president Dana White as the new White House press secretary was “just a joke.”
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Donald Trump, Immigration, Midterms, Deportation, Politics
