A president who built his second term around an aggressive immigration crackdown has, in a television interview, conceded that the policy may have been too harsh and may have cost his party at the polls. Yet the concession arrives tangled with its own contradiction: days later he elevated Stephen Miller, the architect of that very crackdown, to run the White House. Whether this is a turn of conscience, a tactical retreat, or simply the ordinary sway of political weather remains unsettled, and the people most affected by the operations, including two American citizens killed during protests, ar
Trump Says Deportation Policy 'Might Be Too Tough' as He Eyes an Immigration Deal With Democrats
Two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during protests against the immigration operations.
That's not a course correction. That's a promotion.
Mark
Why does this one remark matter so much?
Mimi
Because Trump himself linked the deportation policy to Republicans losing, and said it "might be too tough." That's unusual coming from him on this issue.
Mark
And he says a deal with Democrats is doable?
Mimi
He said "we would work something out." He wants killers and drug dealers deported but floated letting people stay who work in landscaping or hotels, sometimes paying taxes.
Luke
But he gave no specifics. What's actually confirmed here?
Mimi
Only that he said it. No terms, no bill, no named negotiating partners in what's reported.
Mark
Then there's the Stephen Miller appointment.
Mimi
He was named chief of staff shortly after the interview was taped. Schumer called it "not a course correction" but "a promotion."
Luke
That's Schumer's framing, though. We don't know yet whether Miller's role changes policy or not.
Mimi
Fair. What's established is the appointment and the sequence of events, not what Miller will do.
Mark
And the human side?
Mimi
Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both US citizens, were killed by federal officers during protests against the operations. Democrats say Ice and DHS oversight is a priority.
Luke
So whether "too tough" means any real change is still unknown.
Der Puls
- A president tells 60 Minutes his deportation policy 'might be too tough,' unsettling a movement built on it.
- Days after the interview, he names hard-line architect Stephen Miller as chief of staff, and critics call it a promotion, not a course correction.
- He floats an immigration deal with the new Democratic majority but offers no specifics on what it would contain.
- Democrats make overseeing ICE and DHS a priority, so any proposal will face close scrutiny from the start.
- The shadow of two US citizens killed by federal officers during protests hangs over every promise of a fix.
A president who built his second term around an aggressive immigration crackdown has, in a television interview, conceded that the policy may have been too harsh and may have cost his party at the polls. Yet the concession arrives tangled with its own contradiction: days later he elevated Stephen Miller, the architect of that very crackdown, to run the White House. Whether this is a turn of conscience, a tactical retreat, or simply the ordinary sway of political weather remains unsettled, and the people most affected by the operations, including two American citizens killed during protests, are left to wait on what follows.
President Donald Trump told CBS's 60 Minutes that his deportation policy "might be too tough," a striking admission from a leader whose second term has been shaped by an aggressive immigration crackdown. He tied the policy to his party's electoral losses and said he believed he could work out an agreement with the new Democratic majority in Congress. He gave no details, but sketched a rough line: killers and drug dealers should be deported, while people working in hotels or landscaping firms, some paying taxes, might be allowed to stay.
The timing undercut the message. Shortly after taping the interview, Trump named Stephen Miller, the chief architect of his hard-line agenda, as his new chief of staff. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer mocked the move online, calling it a promotion rather than a course correction.
The crackdown has been among the most visible features of Trump's return to office, with major operations in several cities sending arrests soaring. Two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during protests against those operations. Democrats say overseeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security will be a priority for the new Congress.
In the same interview, Trump said he would not necessarily endorse a successor for 2028, named only Marco Rubio beyond Vice-President JD Vance, and suggested he may be better off staying out of it. What comes next is whether his openness to a deal yields an actual proposal, and how Democrats press their oversight with Miller running the White House.
President Donald Trump told CBS's 60 Minutes that his deportation policy "might be too tough," a rare concession from a president whose second term has been defined by an aggressive immigration crackdown. The interview aired on Sunday.
Mr Trump tied the policy to his party's electoral setback, saying it was part of the reason Republicans lost. Asked about it, he said: "I think it might be too tough, yeah." He added that he believes he can reach an agreement with the new Democratic majority in Congress on immigration. "The deal would be we would work something out," he said, calling it "something that's actually doable."
He offered no specifics about what such a deal would contain. He did sketch a rough boundary. "Killers" and "drug dealers" in the country illegally, he said, should be deported. But he suggested openness to letting others 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."
The timing of the interview complicated its message. Shortly after taping it on Friday, Mr Trump named Stephen Miller, the chief architect of his hard-line immigration agenda, as his new chief of staff.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer seized on that on social media after the interview aired. "Trump says his immigration crackdown went too far," he wrote. "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."
The crackdown has been one of the most visible features of Mr Trump's return to office. Major operations in multiple cities sent arrests soaring. Two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during protests against those operations.
Democrats have said that oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) and the Department of Homeland Security is a priority for the new Congress.
The interview also touched on 2028. Asked whether he would endorse a successor, Mr Trump said: "Probably, not necessarily," adding that he has "a tremendous bench" of people he has great relationships with. Pressed on candidates beyond Vice-President JD Vance, he named only Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a possible contender. "I think Marco's great," he said, but he declined to name others, mentioning only that some senators are excellent. "I may or may not get involved," he said. "Maybe I'm better off not getting involved."
What to watch now is whether the president's openness to a deal produces any actual proposal, and how Democrats use their new majority to press on Ice and DHS oversight with Mr Miller running the White House.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
I think it might be too tough, yeah.— Donald Trump, on his deportation policy, to 60 Minutes
That's not a course correction. That's a promotion.— Chuck Schumer, Senate Democratic Leader
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