Trump Tells 60 Minutes Deportations Were “Too Tough,” Signals Openness to Deal After Midterm Losses (Video)

President Donald Trump said in a 60 Minutes interview that aired Sunday that his administration’s deportation policies were in some respects “too tough” and contributed to Republican losses in last week’s midterm elections.

Speaking with correspondent Ross Douthat, Trump stated he received high marks for securing the border and removing criminal aliens but was hurt by actions against others. “I get very high marks for getting the bad ones out, but I get hurt because we also took people that had good jobs that created one violation or breaking of the law. That was that they came into the country illegally,” he said. He added, “I think it was too tough. I think it might be too tough, yeah. And I think ultimately that hurt me.”

Trump described immigration as having both helped and hurt Republicans. He noted a large portion of the public wants criminal aliens removed while another large portion believes some non-criminal illegal immigrants who work in jobs such as landscaping or hotels and pay taxes should be allowed to remain. He said he would “love to do something on immigration” with Democrats and indicated a deal providing some form of legal status for certain categories “might be doable.”

The interview, Trump’s first extended sit-down since Democrats flipped both chambers of Congress on November 3, also addressed the Iran war. Trump said voters “didn’t like the war” and the gas prices it drove, agreeing in large part with Vice President JD Vance’s assessment that the conflict was a primary reason for the losses. He nevertheless insisted that if given the chance he would “do it again” because of the nuclear threat.

Trump defended the overall economy as “phenomenal,” citing strong jobs numbers, high 401(k) values, and manufacturing gains, but attributed voter dissatisfaction to “bad messaging.” Exit polls showed widespread concern over prices of gasoline, food, utilities, and healthcare.

The remarks come days after Trump named Stephen Miller, a principal architect of the immigration enforcement strategy, as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. The interview was taped Friday morning; the Miller announcement followed shortly afterward.