Trump says first-term deportation policies were 'too tough'

US President Donald Trump said his administration's hardline deportation policies during his first term were "too tough," acknowledging in a televised interview that the aggressive enforcement approach had ultimately damaged his political standing and contributed to his party's disappointing performance in the midterm elections.

Miller appointment follows taped admission

Trump made the remarks during an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes recorded on Friday afternoon, just hours before the White House announced that Stephen Miller — a longtime adviser known for his uncompromising stance on immigration enforcement — would replace Susie Wiles as chief of staff. The timing underscored apparent tensions between the president's recent rhetorical moderation and the elevation of one of the administration's most hardline figures to its highest staff position. Miller has been widely recognized as the primary architect of the administration's most restrictive immigration policies, including the travel ban and family separation protocols.

'Too tough' on enforcement

Speaking with the network, Trump conceded that his administration's immigration crackdown during his first four years had overreached in ways that proved politically costly to him and his party. "It was too tough. I think it might be too tough, yeah," he said. "Ultimately, that hurt me," he added, suggesting that the severity of the policies had contributed to his party's electoral setbacks in the midterm elections and affected his own political trajectory.

Worker concerns and compromise

The president told CBS that many Americans believe immigrants who may have entered unlawfully but have spent years working and building productive lives in the US should be allowed to remain, indicating there could be room for compromise with Democratic lawmakers on comprehensive immigration legislation. Referring to longtime employees in the hospitality industry, Trump described the personal difficulty of witnessing deportations of workers who had established careers and community ties over many years. "When you go into a hotel and you have a woman that's worked there as a, you know, as a maid, as a cleaner, as a this, as a that, as a waitress, a lot of good things, great jobs, and all of a sudden they're being taken out of the country, it's tough. It's a tough thing," he said.

Far-right pressure within administration

Trump acknowledged that "there's a group of people that I would say on the sort of pretty far right that would like everybody taken out," confirming that many within his administration share that stricter position and would prefer mass deportations without exceptions. However, he also outlined a more targeted enforcement approach that would prioritize deporting criminals, violent offenders and drug dealers while potentially considering arrangements for immigrants who have established 10 or 15 years of residence and work history in the country. The interview was recorded Friday afternoon, shortly before Miller's appointment was announced.