The president’s comments come after the GOP’s losses across the country in the midterm elections on Nov. 3

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• President Donald Trump says his approach to immigration enforcement may have been “too tough”
• During a new interview with 60 Minutes, Trump said his administration’s immigration crackdown “both helped and hurt” him at the polls
• The president’s comments come after the GOP’s losses around the country in the midterm elections on Nov. 3

President Donald Trump says his administration’s approach to immigration enforcement may have been “too tough.”

During a sit-down interview with 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday, Nov. 8, Trump, 80, reflected on how his and his supporters’ immigration policy in favor of more deportations may have contributed to the GOP’s losses across the country in the midterm elections.

Trump told correspondent Ross Douthat that his immigration crackdown “both helped and hurt” him at the polls, adding that he thinks he “got an A+ for closing up the border” and got “very high marks for getting the bad ones out.”

“But I get hurt 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,” the president continued. “Now, there is a large part of the country that think that they should be put out. And there’s a large part of the country that think that they should be allowed to 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.”

President Trump says his administration’s deportation policy was “too tough.” https://t.co/4EQsg4QA8c pic.twitter.com/JDcqgRAySp

— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) November 9, 2026

“I think it was too tough,” Trump added of his immigration crackdown. “A lot of people would say that it’s great, but a lot of people think it’s too tough.”

Reflecting on how he will work with the Democratic Party, which is set to control both chambers of Congress, the president also said he would “love to do something on immigration” with congressional Democrats — however, it’s unclear whether the administration is planning to alter its immigration enforcement policies.

After the midterm elections on Nov. 3, the Associated Press surveyed more than 100,000 voters — and about six in 10 said the Trump administration’s actions on immigration enforcement had “gone too far.”

A similar number of voters disapproved of how ICE was doing its job, the outlet found, and about six in 10 voters said immigrants to the U.S. today do more to “help the country.” Less than half, about four in 10, said they do more to “hurt the country,” per AP.

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Despite shifting perspectives on the U.S.’ immigration policies and ICE enforcement tactics across the country, the president revealed on Friday, Nov. 6, that Stephen Miller — who became well known for his role in Trump’s immigration crackdown, as well as his push to eliminate DEI initiatives — will take over as his chief of staff.

“I am pleased to announce that Mr. Stephen Miller, the current Deputy Chief of Staff of the Trump Administration, and one of my most trusted advisors, will become the Chief of Staff starting Monday, November 9, 2026,” Trump wrote.

Miller, 41, currently serves as the president’s deputy chief of staff for policy and his homeland security adviser, and helped oversee much of Trump’s immigration agenda during his second term in office. He has been in the role since 2025 and co-wrote many of the president’s first executive orders with Steve Bannon, including the Muslim travel ban.

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