Trump says his immigration policy was ‘too tough’ in post midterm interview

Posted November 9, 2026 4:33 pm

2 min read

In his first major interview since the Republican Party lost control of the House of Representatives and Senate, U.S. President Donald Trump said his immigration agenda was “too tough.”

Trump, whose administration implemented a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration this year, acknowledged that he lost the support of many because of the policy, but told CBS News’ 60 Minutes program that he thinks he could reach an agreement with the new Democratic majority on how to better manage and enforce immigration laws.

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“The deal would be we would work something out. And I think it’s something — I think that’s something that’s actually doable,” he said in the interview, without offering details of what a deal would look like.

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Speaking on the crackdown, which led to tens of thousands of monthly arrests, the detainment of children and the killing of two American citizens by federal agents, Trump said he thought he scored “very high marks for getting the bad ones out,” saying most of the people who were removed were “murderers,” but understands why it didn’t win him unilateral favour.

“I think it both helped and hurt,” he told CBS News’ Ross Douthat, adding that he believes “killers” and “drug dealers” in the country illegally should be deported, but suggested he was open to the idea of a deal that would let 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.”

Shortly after the interview, Trump named Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff, which quickly drew criticism from Democrats who described Miller as the one behind the policy.

“Trump says his immigration crackdown went too far,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on social media Sunday after the interview aired. “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.”

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Democrats have said oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security is a priority for the new Congress.

Speaking on other matters, including the the race among Republicans to succeed him for the 2028 presidential election and whether he would endorse a potential successor, the president said “probably, not necessarily.”

Asked how his net worth went up by $3 billion since returning to the White House, the president said he doesn’t pay much attention to it and said his sons look after the family business.

“I devote almost no time to my net worth. I don’t care. I make — I have a lotta money, and far more than I ever thought I’d have. And I guess it’s gone up. I don’t even know,” he said.