Miami
Trump says mass deportations were too harsh and hurt Republicans in the midterms
In a CBS interview, the president said he wants to pursue an immigration deal with Democrats. He also blamed messaging problems for the GOP’s heavy midterm losses.
Donald Trump said in a CBS 60 Minutes interview that his administration’s mass deportation policy was too harsh and ended up hurting him in the midterm elections.
He said the approach went too far by removing undocumented immigrants who had not committed crimes beyond entering the country illegally. Trump added that many people believe immigrants who work, including in hotels or landscaping, and in some cases pay taxes, should be allowed to remain in the United States.
Trump also said immigration is one of the areas where he would like to work with Democrats. Asked whether a deal could include legal status for undocumented workers, he indicated that it could, while adding that some figures on the far right, including people in his own administration, would prefer to remove everyone.
The interview also touched on recent changes inside the White House. Trump promoted Stephen Miller on Friday to White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. Miller was described as the architect of the mass deportation policy put in place after Trump returned to office.
On the Republicans’ heavy losses in last week’s midterms, Trump said the problem was poor messaging and played down the effect of the Iran war on economic troubles. He also said the media does not cover what he sees as positive developments for his administration, so he has to communicate them himself.
During the exchange with CBS News interviewer Ross Douthat, Trump was also asked about the growth of his wealth since returning to office. Forbes puts his net worth at $7 billion and reported that it has risen by $2.7 billion since his 2024 election to a second term. His financial disclosure forms also show $1.4 billion in cryptocurrency earnings.
Trump said he spends almost no time thinking about his net worth and said one of his sons watches over the family’s money, though he added that they do not discuss finances. The interview also referenced World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency company founded by his sons two years ago, in which Trump is a co-owner. Investors include Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family and the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser.
When Douthat asked whether a similar arrangement involving the Biden family would sound corrupt, Trump said he knows nothing about the company. He then said he did not know whether foreign investors might believe they were buying influence.
Sources
About this piece. Written by El Notero with AI assistance, from reporting published by the outlet cited above. El Notero did no original reporting on this story.
