Trump Blames Enforcement Errors for Midterm Loss
The president told CBS that deporting law-abiding workers hurt Republican chances, even as he promoted the architect of that policy to a top White House role.
By Jenna Mitchell ·
President Donald Trump acknowledged on Sunday that his administration’s immigration enforcement was excessive, a concession that complicates his narrative for the Republican Party’s recent midterm defeats. Speaking on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” the president stated that the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants who had not committed crimes was “too hard” on the public and likely damaged the party’s electoral standing.
The admission creates a tension within the current administration. While Trump expressed a desire to work with Democrats on immigration, he simultaneously moved to strengthen the very office responsible for the aggressive enforcement policies he criticized. On Friday, he promoted Stephen Miller, the key ideologue behind the mass deportation strategy implemented since Trump returned to the White House, to White House chief of staff. Miller replaced Susie Wiles in that top position.
Trump argued that a bipartisan deal could involve creating a legal status for undocumented workers. He cited individuals with stable employment in sectors such as landscaping and hospitality, noting that some of them pay taxes. “It hurts me because we also deported people with good jobs, who had one infraction, or a breach of the law, and that was that they entered the country illegally,” Trump said. He suggested that a “large group of people” believes these workers should be allowed to remain.
Despite the criticism, Trump identified “poor communication” as the primary reason for the Republican losses in the midterms held last week. He dismissed the impact of the ongoing war with Iran on the economic factors that influenced voters. When pressed by CBS News’ Ross Douthat to define the communication failure, Trump replied, “We couldn’t get the message across.”
The White House has faced staffing challenges in its communications office since late August. Karoline Leavitt departed the administration in that period, and her brief replacement, Katie Zacharia, resigned after serving only five days. This gap in leadership may have contributed to the messaging difficulties Trump described.
The interview also covered the president’s financial holdings. Douthat asked about the increase in Trump’s net worth, which Forbes reports has risen by $2.7 billion since his 2024 reelection. Trump’s financial disclosures show $1.4 billion in gains from cryptocurrencies. His children founded World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency firm, two years ago, with Trump listed as a co-owner.
One of the investors in World Liberty Financial is Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family and the United Arab Emirates’ national security advisor. Douthat asked Trump if he knew whether these foreign investors believed they were purchasing influence. Trump responded, “Because I don’t know anything about it.”
