Trump tells 60 Minutes that deportation policy was ‘too tough’

The president's comments offered an unusually frank acknowledgment that one of the defining policies of his second administration had become a political liability. However, they seemingly contradicted his recent decision to elevate Stephen Miller, the architect of his immigration crackdown, to White House chief of staff.

Since Trump returned to office, sweeping ICE raids have ensnared people with no criminal records, separated families and spread fear in immigrant communities. Federal agents fatally shot two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during operations in Minneapolis earlier this year.

Immigration Compromise Offer

Trump claimed his policy 'both helped and hurt', acknowledging that while people gave him 'A+ for closing up the border' and 'very high marks for getting the bad ones out', he was hurt by deporting people with good jobs who had only entered the country illegally.

The president proposed allowing some long-term undocumented residents to stay while continuing to remove people convicted of serious criminals. He suggested targeting killers, rapists and drug dealers while making an accommodation for people who had been in the country for 10 or 15 years.

Trump said he believed an agreement with Democrats was achievable, claiming some had already contacted him. When asked whether he could refrain from name-calling for six months to secure an agreement, he replied: 'Very easily.'

War and Economy

Trump also blamed the war with Iran and higher petrol prices for much of the Republicans' midterms defeat, agreeing with an assessment by his vice-president, J D Vance, that the conflict had been a major factor. He maintained, however, that the military campaign had been justified and said he would make the same decision again.

On the economy, the president conceded that his administration had failed to communicate its achievements effectively, despite repeatedly claiming that employment, investment and stock market figures were at record levels. 'I think it was bad messaging, maybe by me,' he said.

Wealth and Succession

The interview raised questions about Trump's substantial increase in personal wealth since returning to the White House. Forbes estimated his net worth had increased by $3bn from autumn 2024 to autumn 2025, though Trump suggested this reflected general stock market performance.

When challenged about his family's cryptocurrency business, World Liberty Financial, Trump defended the arrangement by saying: 'I know nothing about it.' Forbes editor Dan Alexander disputed this explanation, identifying several sources including cryptocurrency ventures that generated over $1bn in proceeds.

Trump offered a glimpse of the Republican succession battle, saying he might endorse a candidate for the 2028 election but had not decided whether to intervene. He described the Republican party as having a strong field of potential candidates and praised secretary of state Marco Rubio while declining to rule out other contenders.