Donald Trump admitted his deportation policy was “too harsh” and offered to strike an immigration deal with Democrats, a concession following the Republicans’ disastrous defeat in the midterm elections.
In an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS’s 60 Minutes, the president acknowledged that the aggressive crackdown had damaged him politically and said he was open to an arrangement that would allow some undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States.
60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat asked Trump if his deportation policy had gone too far. “I think it was too hard,” he said. “I think maybe it’s too hard, yes. And a lot of people would say it’s great. But a lot of people think it’s too hard.”
The president’s comments were an unusually frank acknowledgment that one of the defining policies of his second administration had become a political liability. But they apparently disagreed with his decision Friday to elevate Stephen Miller, the architect of his immigration crackdown, to White House chief of staff.
Since Trump returned to office, sweeping Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids on workplaces, homes and public spaces have trapped people without criminal records, separated families and sowed fear in immigrant communities. Federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during operations in Minneapolis earlier this year.
The president said his policies “both helped and hurt,” as people gave him an “A+ for closing the border” and “very high marks for getting the bad ones out.” But he admitted: “I’m hurt because we also took people who had good jobs, which created a violation or infraction of the law, which is that they entered the country illegally.” »
Trump added that there are differing opinions within the country on whether undocumented immigrants should be deported or allowed to stay if they work and pay taxes. He said some people think “they should be allowed to stay if they are good people working in a landscaping company” and “in some cases, if they pay taxes.”
Trump said he believed a deal with Democrats was workable, allowing some long-term undocumented residents to stay while continuing to deport people convicted of serious crimes. He proposed targeting killers, rapists and drug traffickers while accommodating people who had been in the country for 10 or 15 years.
“Let’s let the people who have been here, and in some cases 10 or 15 years, make a deal for them,” he said. He described the proposal as something that could be negotiated, saying: “I think it’s something that’s actually doable.” »
Trump suggested Democrats were receptive to compromise, saying some had already contacted him. Asked if he could refrain from name-calling for six months to reach an agreement, he replied: “Very easily.”
Trump also attributed much of the Republicans’ midterm defeat to the war with Iran and rising gasoline prices, sharing his vice president, JD Vance’s, assessment that the conflict had been a major factor. He also cited what he described as a growing dislike of Israel.
He, however, maintained that the military campaign was justified and said he would make the same decision again. “My answer is a resounding yes, because you cannot let Iran have nuclear weapons,” he said.
Trump insisted the war had been won and predicted Tehran would eventually broker a deal. He acknowledged that the military campaign might not have been popular in the short term, saying: “I think historically it will be a very good decision. Is it a good decision for today and tomorrow? Maybe not.”
He said he was not seeking to escalate the conflict after the midterm elections.
On the economic front, the president acknowledged that his administration had failed to effectively communicate its achievements, even as he repeatedly asserted that employment, investment and stock market figures were at record highs. “I think it was a bad message, maybe on my part,” he said.
Trump has been open to safeguards around artificial intelligence, although he has previously favored allowing tech companies to police themselves rather than imposing sweeping government restrictions. “The guardrails don’t bother me,” he told 60 Minutes. “But I don’t want to put us in a deep second position.”
The interview also raised questions about the substantial increase in Trump’s personal wealth since returning to the White House.
Douthat cited a Forbes estimate that Trump’s net worth increased by $3 billion between fall 2024 and fall 2025. Trump initially suggested the increase reflected the general performance of the stock market and said his finances were managed by his son.
Asked about his family’s cryptocurrency business, World Liberty Financial, which he co-owns and which has attracted investments from people linked to the United Arab Emirates, Trump defended the arrangement, saying: “I don’t know anything about it.”
But Dan Alexander, a Forbes editor who calculates the net worth of wealthy individuals for the magazine, disputed Trump’s explanation in a lengthy thread on X, arguing that the president’s increase in wealth could not be explained simply by stock market gains.
Alexander identified several sources, including cryptocurrency projects that generated more than $1 billion in revenue and the appreciation of tokens held by Trump, overseas licensing deals that increased the value of his branding business, and the removal of a nearly $500 million financial penalty in his New York civil fraud case.
Trump also previewed the Republican succession battle ahead of the 2028 presidential election, saying he might support a candidate but had not decided whether to intervene. Asked if he planned to support a successor, Trump replied: “Probably. Not necessarily.”
He described the Republican Party as having a wide field of potential candidates and praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while refusing to rule out other contenders.
The president said his support would carry considerable weight, but suggested he might be better off staying out of the contest. He also expressed confidence that the Make America Great Again movement could survive without him as leader, describing its defining principles as strong borders and a strong military.
At the end of the interview, Trump was asked if he could pardon his political opponents, including former FBI Director James Comey and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, even before God’s judgment. Trump said: “The answer is no. I want to be honest, no.”
Douthat continued: “Mr. President. You have had the most charming and remarkable life of any American in my entire life and you tell me that before the judgment seat of God you have not found it in your heart to forgive some of your enemies? After all that has been given to you? Come on. Help me here.”
But Trump remained adamant, insisting: “I probably can’t do that, no, because I hate some of my enemies and I always will.” »
Douthat then noted that many presidents are remembered with a single line such as “He freed the slaves” or “He won the Cold War” and asked what line Trump’s presidency would be remembered with.
The president simply declared: “That I made America great again.” »
Gn headline
