Trump Says Deportation Crackdown May Have Gone Too Far After Midterm Defeat

The president’s comments come as Stephen Miller, a leading architect of his immigration agenda, becomes White House chief of staff.

By TELE PAM Newsroom | November 8, 2026

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said his administration’s deportation campaign may have been too harsh, acknowledging concerns about the policy days after Republicans lost control of the House and Senate.

“I think it was too tough. I think it might be too tough,” Trump told correspondent Ross Douthat during an interview broadcast Sunday on CBS’s 60 Minutes.

The interview, recorded Friday at the White House, was Trump’s first sit-down since the November 3 midterm elections. The Republican losses have brought renewed scrutiny to his immigration agenda and its political costs.

Trump’s remarks, however, came alongside moves indicating that enforcement would continue. He named Stephen Miller, a central architect of the administration’s hardline immigration strategy, to replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin also posted “Deportations will continue” the day after the election.

Trump did not announce a specific change to deportation policy in the exchange. His comments leave open whether the administration will adjust enforcement priorities or maintain its current approach under Miller’s expanded leadership.

The interview also touched on Trump’s personal finances. Asked about a Forbes estimate that his net worth had grown by roughly $3 billion since returning to office, Trump pointed to stock ownership and said his son handles his finances. He also noted that he does not take a presidential salary.

Douthat questioned the president about the midterm results, working with the incoming Democratic congressional majorities, the economy and the wars in Iran and Ukraine.

For immigration policy, the next test will be whether Trump’s acknowledgment is followed by new instructions to the agencies carrying out his deportation campaign.

Source: CBS News / 60 Minutes. Interview conducted by Ross Douthat and broadcast November 8, 2026. Rewritten by TELE PAM Newsroom.