Trump Acknowledges His Immigration Policies Were "Too Harsh" Following Midterm Setback

In his first extensive media interview since his party suffered severe defeats in the midterm elections, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged on Sunday, November 8, that his administration's policy regarding immigration and the deportation of foreign nationals was "too harsh." His remarks came during an appearance on CBS, where he simultaneously defended his management of the economy and the war in Iran, while admitting to flaws in government communication.

Admission of Excessive Rigor Against Foreign Residents and Workers

Trump’s admission appeared to be prompted by pressure from opinion polls showing that 58% of Americans believe the administration went too far and crossed the line in expelling undocumented immigrants, thereby adopting the self-critical tone recently expressed by his Vice President, J.D. Vance.

The U.S. President said during the interview: "I deserve a 20 out of 20 for successfully closing the border, and excellent marks for deporting criminals. But what hurt me was that we also deported people who held good jobs, solely because of one violation of the law—illegal entry into the country... Therefore, yes, the deportation rules were too strict."

Skepticism Over Shift and Entrenchment of Deportation Architect

Despite this conciliatory tone, which immigrant and foreign communities are monitoring with keen interest, Trump's opponents were quick to question the sincerity of this reassessment. They cited his decision just two days earlier to promote Stephen Miller—one of the staunchest figures of the hard right and the primary architect of mass deportation plans—appointing him as White House Chief of Staff.

On the economic front, Trump remained steadfast despite citizen complaints regarding the rising cost of living and oil prices, maintaining that the performance of the U.S. economy over the past two years was an "exceptional phenomenon" and arguing that his government team had merely failed to "properly convey the picture and highlight achievements as required."