Trump Tells '60 Minutes' His Deportation Policy 'Might Be Too Tough,' Says It Hurt Him and He Is Open to an Immigration Deal With Democrats

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, in a '60 Minutes' interview broadcast Sunday evening, November 8, on CBS, conceded that his mass deportation policy 'might be too tough' and said it hurt Republicans, and him personally, in the midterm elections; he also said he would like to reach an immigration deal with the Democrats who have just won back majorities in both chambers of Congress. It was Trump's first television sit-down since Republicans' historic midterm losses on November 3; the interview was recorded at the White House on Friday, November 6, with '60 Minutes' correspondent Ross Douthat.

Asked whether his deportation policy had gone too far, Trump said: 'Too tough. I think it might be too tough, yeah.' He said he gets an 'A+' for closing the border and very high marks for removing 'the bad ones,' 'but 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.' He cited a woman who had worked for years at a hotel as a maid, cleaner or waitress being suddenly taken out of the country: 'It's tough. It's a tough thing.'

Asked what he would like to work on with a Democratic majority, Trump said: 'I'd love to do something on immigration,' calling a deal with Democrats 'something that's actually doable.' U.S. media takeaways from the interview described the remarks as a striking acknowledgment on the issue at the center of his 2024 campaign; on the same day the interview was recorded, however, Trump named Stephen Miller, the architect of the mass deportation policy, as White House chief of staff effective November 9, and it remains unclear whether enforcement will change.

The interview also pressed Trump on his wealth. Forbes estimates his net worth at about $7 billion, up about $2.7 billion since he was elected again in 2024, and his financial disclosures show about $1.4 billion in cryptocurrency earnings. Asked about the increase, Trump first said, 'So did everyone's,' then added: 'I devote almost no time to my net worth. I don't care. I have a lot of money, and far more than I ever thought I'd have. And I guess it's gone up. I don't even know.' On World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency company co-owned by his family and sons, in which an investment firm tied to the United Arab Emirates acquired nearly half ahead of his inauguration, he said he knew nothing about his family's investments, adding that one of his sons manages his money and that most of it is given to the biggest firms on Wall Street to invest.

Assessing the election losses, Trump mainly blamed the war with Iran and Republicans' messaging, taking no personal blame. GSM previously reported the interview's preview excerpts, in which Trump said he might make a few more personnel changes and backed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth; once the full programme aired, the immigration and wealth exchanges topped U.S. media takeaways.

Related: Follow-up: Trump Says in '60 Minutes' Interview He May Make a Few More Personnel Changes, Backs Secretary of War Hegseth

(Source: CBS)

Source: CBS

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：特朗普与国家安全团队在白宫战情室开会（白宫官方照片，资料图）。公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons，本站档案图复用。 / Photo: President Trump and his national security team meet in the Situation Room of the White House (White House photo, file photo). Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; GSM archive reuse.

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