President Trump in his first major interview since his party lost control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections said he thinks his administration was too aggressive on deportations and he believes he can work with Democrats in the new Congress on some kind of immigration deal.
Trump said his deportation policy was part of the reason Republicans lost, telling CBS’ “60 Minutes” in an interview that aired Sunday: “I think it might be too tough, yeah.”
He added that he thinks he could reach an agreement with the new Democratic majority. “The deal would be we would work something out. And I think it’s something — I think that’s something that’s actually doable,” he said in the interview.
Trump did not give specifics about what that deal would look like — and shortly after taping the interview Friday, Trump named the key architect of his hard-line immigration agenda, Stephen Miller, as his new chief of staff.
“Trump says his immigration crackdown went too far,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer scoffed on social media Sunday after the interview aired. “Apparently, his solution was to put the man responsible for it in charge of the White House. That’s not a course correction. That’s a promotion.”
The president’s immigration crackdown has been a prominent feature of his second term with major operations in Los Angeles and other cities sending arrests soaring. Two U.S. citizens — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — were killed by federal officers during protests against the operations.
Democrats have said oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security is a priority for the new Congress.
Trump said he believes that “killers” and “drug dealers” in the country illegally should be deported, but suggested he was open to the idea of a deal that would let others stay “if they’re good people working in a landscaping company, or working in a hotel, or doing something, right? And in some cases, paying taxes.”
Trump suggests neutrality on 2028 race
On the upcoming contest among Republicans to be the party’s presidential nominee in 2028, Trump hinted at staying neutral.
Asked whether he’d endorse a potential successor, the president said “probably, not necessarily.”
“We have a tremendous bench. I have so many people that I have great relationships with,” Trump said in the interview.
Asked about possible candidates other than Vice President JD Vance, Trump named only Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is viewed as a possible 2028 contender.
“I think Marco’s great,” Trump said. “But there are many others, and I’d rather not mention their names. There’s some senators that are excellent. I know ’em all, I like ’em a lot.
“So I may or may not get involved. I don’t know. Maybe I’m better off not getting involved,” Trump said.
Questions about his growing wealth
During the midterms, Democrats sought to make the president’s personal wealth a campaign issue. About half of voters nationally said government corruption was “crucial” in their vote for Congress, according to the AP Voter Poll.
Asked how his net worth went up by $3 billion since returning to the White House, Trump said he doesn’t pay much attention to it and said his sons look after the family business.
“I devote almost no time to my net worth. I don’t care. I make — 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,” he said.
Trump was asked whether he thinks people from foreign countries investing in the company he co-owns with his sons are trying to buy influence. “I don’t know. But that’s true — look, every president has a problem,” he said.
Trump, who has lashed out against political foes unlike any U.S. president before him, was asked whether he could forgive his enemies. He said it would be easy to say yes.
But he added: “I probably cannot do that, no, because I do hate some of my enemies, and I always will.”
Catalini and Superville write for the Associated Press.
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