President Donald Trump told CBS 60 Minutes that his immigration crackdown was “too tough” after Republicans suffered heavy losses in the midterm elections on November 3, 2026. In his first sit-down interview since Democrats won control of Congress, Trump said the deportation drive both helped and hurt his party, and he said he would love to reach an immigration deal with congressional Democrats. He gave no bill, no eligibility rules, and no timetable for such a deal.
Quick Facts
| Detail | What happened |
|---|---|
| Interview | Recorded at the White House on Friday, November 6, 2026, with CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat |
| Aired | Sunday evening, November 8, 2026 |
| First interview since | Democrats won control of Congress in the November 3, 2026 midterms |
| House losses | Republicans lost more than 40 seats, according to CBS |
| Senate losses | Republicans lost at least seven seats, according to CBS |
| New Congress | Democrats will control both houses when seated in January 2027 |
| Key quote | “It was too tough. I think it might be too tough.” |
| Exit poll finding | 58 percent of voters said immigration actions had gone too far |
| Immigration trust | Republicans 43 percent, Democrats 41 percent |
| Chief of staff | Stephen Miller named on Friday, November 6, 2026 |
What Trump Said About the Deportations
The clearest moment of the interview came when Douthat asked Trump about the deportation campaign that defined much of his second term. Trump did not defend every part of it. “It was too tough. I think it might be too tough,” he said. It was a striking admission from a president who had made mass deportation a central promise of his return to office.
Trump drew a line between two groups of people caught up in the crackdown. He gave himself an “A plus” for closing the border and said he deserved “very high marks for getting the bad ones out.” Then he added that he was hurt politically because “we also took people that had good jobs, that created one violation, or breaking of the law, and that was that they came into the country illegally.”
He pointed in particular to immigrants who have lived in the country for ten years or more without committing serious crimes. Those are the cases, in his telling, where the policy went further than voters wanted. Trump said immigration “both helped and hurt” his party in the midterms, a notable shift for an issue that had long been one of the strongest for Republicans. The exit polling cited by CBS suggests it may have started to work against them instead.
The Midterm Numbers Behind the Shift
The scale of the Republican defeat helps explain why Trump sounded different in this interview. Republicans lost more than 40 House seats and at least seven Senate seats, according to CBS. Democrats will control both houses of Congress when the new Congress is seated in January 2027. It was a sweeping result, and it left Trump facing a very different political landscape for the final stretch of his presidency.
CBS exit polling found that 58 percent of voters believed the administration’s immigration actions had gone too far. Voters still trusted Republicans slightly more than Democrats on handling immigration, 43 percent to 41 percent, but that narrow edge was not enough to save Republican candidates.
Immigration ranked behind the economy and democracy in voter concerns in election-day polling. Democrats also made gains among Latino voters in traditionally Republican states such as Texas, a shift that could matter in future elections if it holds.
A Deal With Democrats?
Trump said he would “love to do something on immigration” with congressional Democrats. It was one of the most surprising lines of the interview, given how hard he has campaigned against Democratic immigration positions. But he offered no detail at all. There was no bill, no list of who would qualify for legal status, no enforcement trade, and no timetable.
Asked whether he could strike a deal if it took six months of not insulting Democrats, he answered: “Very easily.” The line drew attention because Trump has spent years using sharp attacks on his opponents as a political tool. Whether he can sustain a different tone for months of negotiation is an open question, and Democrats will be watching closely.
It is unclear whether Trump is considering any actual policy change. The same day the interview aired, his Department of Homeland Security said it was not slowing down. If enforcement continues at the same pace, critics will say the interview was about politics, not policy.
The personnel picture adds to the doubt. Trump had just named Stephen Miller, the architect of the deportation policies, as his new chief of staff on Friday, November 6. For more on the reaction to that appointment, see our report on how Stephen Miller’s promotion angered industries.
Why Republicans Lost, in Trump’s Telling
Trump did not blame himself for the midterm defeat. He named the Iran war and bad messaging as the main causes, along with rising gasoline prices. He said voters “didn’t like the war.” That is a notable admission, since the war was his decision, but he framed it as a policy voters disliked rather than a personal failure.
The main reason for the defeat, in his telling, was that “I was not on the ballot.” His argument is that Republican candidates could not translate his popularity into their own races. Critics will note that presidents are always judged by midterm results, whether or not their name is on the ballot.
Trump also pointed to messaging, saying the party did not sell its record well enough, and to rising gasoline prices, one of the most visible measures of the cost of living for voters.
The interview also touched on Trump’s recent order directing the Justice Department to investigate Democrats, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opponents who call it political. For the details, see our report on Trump ordering the Justice Department to investigate Democrats.
Vance, Rubio, and the Succession Question
The interview also shed light on the relationship between Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Vance had written last week that the Iran war was to blame for the Republican losses. Trump said he wished Vance had been more supportive of the conflict, while saying Vance had spoken to him beforehand and he told Vance to “write what you feel.”
Trump stood by the Iran decision without hesitation. “If you had it to do again, would you do it? … my answer is an emphatic yes,” he said.
On the question of a successor, Trump hedged. Asked whether he would endorse Vance for president, he said “Probably. Not necessarily,” and added “Maybe I’m better off not getting involved.” He said his endorsement would “play a big role” because his endorsement capacity has been very strong.
Asked who else would be on his shortlist, Trump touted Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying “I think Marco’s great” and “he’s doing a fantastic job.” He also mentioned excellent senators without naming them. In a lighter moment the same weekend, Trump joked about Dana White. See our report on Trump saying he was only kidding about Dana White.
Forgiveness and the Corruption Questions
The interview ended with a tense back-and-forth about whether Trump could ever forgive his perceived enemies. “I think they were very bad people, and I dislike – I can use the word hate – I do hate some of my enemies,” he said. He added: “I probably cannot do that now because I do hate some of my enemies, and I always will.”
The question followed a moment at the funeral for slain activist Charlie Kirk, where his widow Erika publicly forgave his alleged assassin. Trump then appeared onstage to declare: “I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them.”
Douthat also pressed Trump on his family’s extensive business interests, including in crypto. Trump said one of his sons, “a very straight, good guy,” manages his money and most of it is “given to the biggest firms on Wall Street to invest.” The president has raked in more than $1 billion from crypto businesses he and his sons launched shortly before he was sworn in. An investment firm tied to the United Arab Emirates acquired nearly half of the Trump family’s cryptocurrency company ahead of his second inauguration.
Trump downplayed concerns about countries buying influence, saying “every president has a problem” with outside entities seeking to curry favor. He insisted he had no role in his family’s moneymaking ventures despite not having fully divested, saying: “How do you divest from cash?” Critics argue the crypto earnings and the foreign investment create clear conflicts of interest. Supporters argue Trump handed management to his family.
FAQs
What did Trump say about his immigration crackdown on 60 Minutes?
Trump said the crackdown was “too tough.” He said immigration “both helped and hurt” his party in the midterms. He gave himself an “A plus” for closing the border, but said the policy went too far when it swept up people who had lived in the country for ten years or more, held good jobs, and had not committed serious crimes.
When was the interview recorded and aired?
The interview was recorded at the White House on Friday, November 6, 2026, with CBS 60 Minutes correspondent Ross Douthat. It aired on Sunday evening, November 8, 2026. It was Trump’s first sit-down interview since Democrats won control of Congress in the November 3 midterm elections.
Did Trump offer an immigration deal with Democrats?
Trump said he would “love to do something on immigration” with congressional Democrats and could strike a deal “very easily.” He gave no bill, no eligibility rules, and no timetable. His Department of Homeland Security said the same day that it was not slowing down.
How badly did Republicans lose the midterms?
Republicans lost more than 40 House seats and at least seven Senate seats, according to CBS. Democrats will control both houses of Congress when the new Congress is seated in January 2027. Exit polling found 58 percent of voters believed the administration’s immigration actions had gone too far.
Sources
Final Thoughts
Trump’s 60 Minutes interview was a rare moment of public second-guessing from a president who rarely admits a mistake. Calling the deportation crackdown “too tough” after a midterm defeat is a clear signal that he knows the policy cost his party votes. The exit polling backs that up, with a majority of voters saying enforcement went too far.
What happens next is far less clear. A president who talks about a deal while his own department says it is not slowing down, and who just promoted the architect of the crackdown to chief of staff, has sent mixed signals. Democrats taking control of Congress will test whether the offer is real or only a talking point.
