Trump: Immigration crackdowns were 'too tough' and cost Republicans midterms
The president told 60 Minutes that removing non-criminal workers hurt his party, while also citing bad messaging for the recent electoral losses.
By Giulia Donovan ·
President Donald Trump stated that his administration's immigration enforcement was too aggressive, acknowledging that the policy hurt Republicans during the midterm elections. In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday, Trump said the government removed too many undocumented immigrants who had not committed crimes. The interview was recorded on Friday.
Trump explained that he felt political pain because officials removed individuals who held good jobs. He noted that these workers often had only one violation: entering the country illegally. He said, “I get hurt because we also took people that had good jobs, that created one violation, or breaking of the law, and that was that they came into the country illegally.”
The president identified a specific group of workers who should be allowed to remain in the United States. He described them as “good people” working in landscaping, hotels, or other sectors, and noted that some of them pay taxes. Trump said, “a large group of people” believe these workers should be permitted to stay. He expressed willingness to work with Democrats on immigration, affirming that a deal could involve creating legal status for undocumented workers.
Despite this conciliation, Trump noted that members of his administration on the far right favored removing everyone. On Friday, he promoted Stephen Miller to the role of White House chief of staff. Miller had previously conceived the mass deportation policy enacted after Trump returned to office. Susie Wiles was replaced in this top position.
Trump attributed the crushing midterm losses for Republicans last week to “bad messaging.” He suggested the error may have been his own, stating, “I think it was bad messaging, maybe by me, but I would talk about it all the time.” He claimed the media did not cover positive news for him, forcing him to share it himself. When pressed by Ross Douthat on what the bad message was, Trump replied, “We couldn’t get the word across.”
The White House has operated without a permanent press secretary since late August, when Karoline Leavitt left the administration. Katie Zacharia briefly served in the role but departed after only five days. Trump also downplayed the economic impact of the Iran war in the same interview.
Trump addressed his personal finances when asked about his net worth. His wealth increased by nearly $3 billion since he returned to office. Forbes reported that his net worth stands at $7 billion, up by $2.7 billion since his 2024 election. Financial disclosure forms show he earned $1.4 billion in cryptocurrency.
Trump initially responded to the increase by saying, “So did everyone’s.” He claimed he devotes almost no time to his net worth and does not know how it has changed. He said one of his sons watches over the family money and that they do not discuss finances.
His sons founded the cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial two years ago. Trump is a co-owner of the firm. Investors include Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family and a U.S. national security adviser for the United Arab Emirates. When Douthat asked how his stake differs from a hypothetical Biden family investment from the Middle East, Trump said, “Because I know nothing about it.” He added that he did not know whether foreign investors believe they are buying influence.
