Photo via Daily Mail

Trump admits ICE crackdown was 'too tough' and helped hand historic win to Democrats in midterms: 'That hurt me'

Read the original at Daily Mail ↗
Cite

Churchill, V. (2026, November 9). Trump admits ICE crackdown was 'too tough' and helped hand historic win to Democrats in midterms: 'That hurt me'. Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16277051/Trump-ICE-historic-win-Democrats-midterms.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

Daily Mail · collected 2026-11-09 · by Victoria Churchill

Quick Summary

In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, President Donald Trump admitted that his administration’s tough stance on immigration and deportations was too extreme. He acknowledged that while securing the border gained him support, mass deportations alienated voters who saw the removal of hardworking immigrants as overly harsh. Trump stated he wants to work with Democrats on immigration reform in his final two years. This admission comes after significant Republican losses in the midterms. The article also notes that despite this shift, President Trump selected Stephen Miller, a known hardliner on immigration, as his new White House Chief of Staff, which has drawn criticism from Democrats like Hakeem Jeffries.
Written by AI on 2026-11-09, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

In an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" on November 8, 2026, President Trump acknowledged that his administration's tough deportation policies may have been "too tough," potentially hurting the Republican Party in recent midterm elections. Trump expressed willingness to negotiate with Democrats on immigration, suggesting some illegal immigrants could receive legal status under certain conditions. He emphasized that while he received high marks for securing the border and deporting criminals, a significant portion of the public wants non-criminal undocumented workers to stay if they have good jobs or are paying taxes. This change in stance comes after Republicans suffered losses across various states during the midterms, particularly among Hispanic voters.

Written for “Trump Admits Immigration Policy Too Tough” on 2026-11-09, grounded in this article and the 15 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted verbatim and was checked against the article text before being stored, so you can find it in the original.
Reading Leans left (beta estimate) Confidence high
Leaning: leans left for article 137430 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-11-09

Story

Trump Admits Immigration Policy Too Tough
Politics · 16 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans left and hedges 9% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
ABC News (US)
Hedges 1 of 18 claims Outlet record 67/100
Toronto Star
Hedges 1 of 2 claims Outlet record 64/100
CBS News
Hedges 2 of 23 claims Outlet record 68/100
The Straits Times
Hedges 1 of 13 claims Outlet record 66/100
New York Post
Leans left Hedges 0 of 8 claims Outlet record 66/100
Just The News
Hedges 3 of 4 claims Outlet record 95/100
NBC News
Hedges 2 of 27 claims Outlet record 72/100
Fox News
Hedges 4 of 17 claims Outlet record 67/100
The Free Press
Leans left Hedges 2 of 5 claims Outlet record 97/100
The Guardian
Leans left Hedges 11 of 53 claims Outlet record 65/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
23
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
9%
2 of 23 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
69/100
Daily Mail's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
16
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-09 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Daily Mail · 10029 article(s) · 24 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 24 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Victoria Churchill
63 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
In an interview with CBS 60 Minutes which aired Sunday, Trump revealed that his deportation policy was 'too tough.' Questioned by interviewer Ross Douthat on what issue he would like to work with Democrats on, Trump responded, 'I'd love to do something on immigration.' The President said his immigration agenda had been a double-edged sword for Republicans, arguing that voters overwhelmingly supported his efforts to secure the southern border but were more divided over mass deportations. ‘I think it both helped and hurt.
'Tonight,' Cooper said, 'We told Washington loud and clear that North Carolinians will always matter more than the billionaires and the insiders.' 'I am still a prisoner of hope,' Cooper said, adding that the election results were evidence that voters are eager for a course correction.
House Republican Speaker Mike Johnson has announced that he will not be seeking the post of Minority Leader after harrowing losses for his party in November's midterm elections.
It will be a rocky way to end his final two years in office as legislative gridlock, spending battles, and more shutdowns are set to plague Washington.
Elections are a vital part of our democracy, and while we may have different perspectives and ideas about the path forward, we all share a common love for our island and a desire to see our people thrive,' he added.
Turkish has warned that El-Sayed's 'reckless' campaign rhetoric 'puts Jews at risk,' saying he will put 'country before party.' Democratic ad maker Abby Anderson commented on Stevens' new look unveiled at the polls, calling it 'concerning.' '
Alaska is also predicted to go the way of the Democrats, with another Republican incumbent, Dan S. Sullivan, losing his seat to former Democrat lawmaker Mary Peltola.
Democratic Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Big Apple's mayor Zohran Mamdani have put on a united front in public, joining forces. Yet, as revealed by the New York Times, Mamdani's rapid rise has caused some friction among Ocasio-Cortez' allies, noting, 'While Mr. Mamdani has not universally pleased the left, it has long grated on some Ocasio-Cortez allies that the new mayor seems to be given more deference from more of the base than she was ever afforded.'
The moment came around an hour into Trump's rally in Daytona Beach on Friday, as the president campaigned ahead of elections that will determine control of Congress.
- Sign up HERE for the DC Insider Newsletter - for your guide on all the latest from the midterm campaign trail and what's rattling the White House A history professor who has accurately predicted the outcome of nine of the last 11 presidential races has issued his final assessment of the 2026 midterms.
Also by Victoria Churchill
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 63 articles by Victoria Churchill →

Topics

CBS CBS 60 Minutes Democrats Republicans White House

Subjects

Trump PERSON · 12× Democrats NORP · 6× Miller PERSON · 6× Donald Trump PERSON · 3× Stephen Miller PERSON · 3× White House ORG · 3× 60 Minutes ORG · 2× CBS ORG · 2× Jeffries PERSON · 2× Ross Douthat PERSON · 2×

Narrative

In an interview with CBS 60 Minutes which aired Sunday, Trump revealed that his deportation policy was 'too tough.' Questioned by interviewer Ross Douthat on what issue he would like to work with Democrats on, Trump responded, 'I'd love to do something on immigration.' The President said his immigration agenda had been a double-edged sword for Republicans, arguing that voters overwhelmingly supported his efforts to secure the southern border but were more divided over mass deportations. ‘I think it both helped and hurt.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-09
In an interview with CBS 60 Minutes which aired Sunday, Trump revealed that his deportation policy was 'too tough.' Questioned by interviewer Ross Douthat on what issue he would like to work with Democrats on, Trump responded, 'I'd love to do something on immigration.' The President said his immigration agenda had been a double-edged sword for Republicans, arguing that voters overwhelmingly supported his efforts to secure the southern border but were more divided over mass deportations. ‘I think it both helped and hurt.

Claims (23 extracted, 2 hedged)

- READ MORE: Trump purge BEGINS as insiders name scapegoat President Donald Trump has revealed that he believes immigration enforcement and deportations in his second term went too far, and that the issue is one he can work with Democrats on in his last two years in office. asserted
he → read → office
In an interview with CBS 60 Minutes which aired Sunday, Trump revealed that his deportation policy was 'too tough.' Questioned by interviewer Ross Douthat on what issue he would like to work with Democrats on, Trump responded, 'I'd love to do something on immigration.' The President said his immigration agenda had been a double-edged sword for Republicans, arguing that voters overwhelmingly supported his efforts to secure the southern border but were more divided over mass deportations. ‘I think it both helped and hurt. asserted
it → air → deportations
I think I got an A+ for closing up the border,’ Trump said. asserted
Trump → think → border
But he acknowledged that his administration had also targeted otherwise law-abiding immigrants whose only offense was entering the country illegally. asserted
offense → acknowledge → country
‘I get hurt because we also took people that had good jobs,’ Trump said, noting that many worked in hotels, landscaping and other industries while sometimes paying taxes. asserted
many → hurt → taxes
The president suggested that Americans were uncomfortable watching longtime workers being rounded up and removed from the country. uncertain
workers → suggest → country
US President Donald Trump has revealed that he believes immigration enforcement and deportations in an interview with CBS 60 Minutes CBS 60 Minutes interviewer Ross Douthat spoke with President Donald Trump after his terrible midterm election losses this past week ‘When you go into a hotel, and you have a woman that’s worked there as… a maid, as a cleaner… as a waitress… and all of a sudden, they’re being taken outta the country, it’s tough,’ Trump said. asserted
Trump → reveal → country
The remarks represent a striking shift in tone for the president, who made mass deportations a centerpiece of his immigration agenda. asserted
deportations → represent → agenda
Trump also acknowledged that some hardliners within his own administration favored removing virtually every illegal immigrant, regardless of their circumstances. asserted
hardliners → acknowledge → circumstances
Asked whether those individuals worked in his White House, Trump responded: ‘Yes.’ asserted
Trump → ask → House
Since the 60 Minutes interview was taped, Trump selected his longtime aide Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, as his new White House Chief of Staff. asserted
Trump → tap → Staff
The selection has already rubbed some Democrats the wrong way. asserted
selection → rub → way
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who looks likely to be the next Speaker, was not a fan of Trump picking Miller for the Chief of Staff role. asserted
Trump → look → role
In an appearance on ABC This Week, Jeffries noted that he doesn't see himself working with Miller, unlike at times finding common ground with former White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. asserted
himself → note → Wiles
'There's not going to be any opportunity, certainly, to work with Stephen Miller and what he represents,' Jeffries added. asserted
Jeffries → be → what
After Miller was named the new Chief of Staff on Friday, liberals were apoplectic about the new position for Miller, whom they see as the enabler of some of Trump's more extreme impulses on immigration. asserted
they → name → immigration
'Trump making Stephen Miller Chief of Staff is a giant FU to the entire country that just voted against their barbarism, cruelty and hate,' wrote leftist commentator Krystal Ball. asserted
Ball → make → barbarism
'It’s also a sign that in spite of what he said, he has zero interest in moderating or working with Democrats to deliver for the people. asserted
he → ’ → people
California Governor Gavin Newsom called Miller a 'vile thug' and called the move an insult to those who voted for Democrats on Tuesday. asserted
who → call → Tuesday
'Miller cooked up the sadistic mass deportation regime that ripped apart families and trampled basic civil rights. asserted
that → cook → rights
Voters rejected his cruelty and extremism. asserted
Voters → reject → cruelty
Still, Trump thinks a deal with the Democrats who scored big victories in Tuesday's elections could include some form of legal status for undocumented immigrants who have spent years working in the United States. uncertain
who → think → States
‘I think that’s something that’s actually doable,’ he said in his 60 Minutes appearance. asserted
he → think → appearance
Give feedback · no sign-in needed

No sign-in needed for now. Your note is sent without a name, so it cannot be answered.

History Support