Trump Admits 'Too Tough' Deportations Hurt GOP After 40 House Losses
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Nov 9
Trump Admits 'Too Tough' Deportations Hurt GOP After 40 House Losses
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Nov 9
Summary
More than 40 lost House seats and at least seven Senate defeats pushed Trump to concede in a 60 Minutes interview that his deportation policy was "too tough" and that his economic message failed to land.
Trump said voters recoiled from removing workers with jobs after a single immigration violation, while also blaming the Iran war, soaring gas prices and the fact that he was not on the ballot.
63% of midterm voters disapproved of Trump's job performance, and 44% said their vote was meant to oppose him; exit polls also showed broad pessimism on the economy and tariffs.
One hour after the interview, Trump replaced chief of staff Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller, signaling personnel changes even as he said he still was not looking to escalate the Iran war.
The remarks amount to a rare public recalibration after the GOP setback, though Miller's elevation complicates Trump's claim that he wants to work with Democrats on immigration.