On the eve of a new Congress, a president who built his return on mass removals has conceded, in a televised interview, that his deportation campaign may have cost his party at the polls. Donald Trump's tentative opening toward a deal that could let some long-settled undocumented workers remain sits uneasily beside the appointment of Stephen Miller, the architect of that crackdown, as his chief of staff. Whether this is a turning of the tide or a change of tone only, the true measure will be whether words become terms and whether the new Democratic majority chooses to look closely at the machi
Trump Says Deportation Policy 'Might Have Been Too Tough' as He Eyes a Deal with Democrats
Two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during protests against the immigration operations, and arrests surged in multiple cities.
"That's not a course correction. That's a promotion."
Mark
Why does this interview matter? Presidents say things on TV all the time.
Mimi
Because he said his deportation policy might be too tough, and tied it to Republicans losing. That's a notable thing for him to say about his signature issue.
Mark
And he floated a deal with Democrats.
Mimi
Yes, one that might let some people stay if they work in places like hotels or landscaping companies, and sometimes pay taxes. Killers and drug dealers would still be deported.
Luke
But he gave no specifics. "We would work something out" isn't a proposal. What the deal would actually contain is unknown.
Mark
Then there's the Miller appointment.
Mimi
He named Stephen Miller chief of staff shortly after taping. Schumer called it a promotion, not a course correction.
Luke
Worth noting that's Schumer's reading. The reporting doesn't tell us whether Miller's views have changed or what he'll do in the job.
Mark
What's the human backdrop?
Mimi
Arrests soared in multiple cities, and two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during protests.
Luke
And Trump's own words were "might be," with a "yeah" at the end. That's hedged, not a reversal of policy.
El Pulso
- A president who promised mass removals now says his deportation policy may have been too tough, and the admission lands like a crack in the wall.
- The naming of Stephen Miller as chief of staff, days after the interview, pulls in the opposite direction and sharpens the contradiction.
- Schumer calls the appointment a promotion, and Democrats are readying oversight of ICE and Homeland Security as their first move in Congress.
- Trump offers no details of any deal, so the talk of letting working people stay remains an open question with no terms yet written.
- Two US citizens killed during protests against the operations keep the human cost close, and every step toward a bargain will be measured against it.
On the eve of a new Congress, a president who built his return on mass removals has conceded, in a televised interview, that his deportation campaign may have cost his party at the polls. Donald Trump's tentative opening toward a deal that could let some long-settled undocumented workers remain sits uneasily beside the appointment of Stephen Miller, the architect of that crackdown, as his chief of staff. Whether this is a turning of the tide or a change of tone only, the true measure will be whether words become terms and whether the new Democratic majority chooses to look closely at the machinery of enforcement.
In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, President Donald Trump said his deportation policy may have helped cost Republicans at the polls. "I think it might be too tough, yeah," he said. For a leader whose return to office rested largely on promises of mass removals, it was a rare concession.
He also said he believed he could reach an agreement with the new Democratic majority in Congress, calling it "actually doable," though he offered no details. He sketched a rough line: those he called killers and drug dealers should be removed, while people who work in landscaping or hotels and pay taxes might be allowed to stay.
The timing undercut the message. Shortly after recording the interview, Trump named Stephen Miller, the central figure behind his hard-line immigration agenda, as his chief of staff. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer responded that the move was not a course correction but "a promotion."
The crackdown has been among the most visible parts of Trump's second term, with arrests surging in several cities. Two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during protests against those operations. Democrats now plan to make oversight of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security a priority, a first real test of whether any bipartisan arrangement can be built.
In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday, President Donald Trump said his deportation policy was part of the reason Republicans lost. "I think it might be too tough, yeah," he said. It was an unusual concession from a president whose return to office was built in large part on a promise of mass removals.
Trump also said he believes he can strike an agreement with the new Democratic majority in Congress. "The deal would be we would work something out," he said, adding that he thinks it is "actually doable." He offered no details of what such a deal would contain.
He did sketch the outlines of where his thinking sits. Trump said "killers" and "drug dealers" in the country illegally should be deported. But he suggested he was open to letting others stay if they are "good people working in a landscaping company, or working in a hotel," and in some cases "paying taxes."
The timing complicated the message. 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 that on social media after the broadcast. "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 among the most visible features of Trump's second term. 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 will be a priority in the new Congress. That sets up the first real test of whether any bipartisan immigration arrangement is possible.
The interview also touched on 2028. Asked whether he would endorse a successor, Trump said, "Probably, not necessarily," and spoke of a "tremendous bench" of people he has good relationships with. Pressed on candidates other than Vice-President JD Vance, he named only Secretary of State Marco Rubio, seen as a possible contender. "I think Marco's great," he said, but he declined to name others, mentioning only that some senators are "excellent." "So I may or may not get involved," he said. "Maybe I'm better off not getting involved."
What to watch now is whether the talk of a deal turns into specific proposals, and how Democrats use their new oversight powers over Ice and Homeland Security, with Miller running the White House.
Citas Notables
The deal would be we would work something out.— President Donald Trump, on 60 Minutes
That's not a course correction. That's a promotion.— Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer
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