Trump Says Immigration Crackdown May Have ‘Hurt’ Republicans in Midterms
Trump reflects on immigration policy
Trump said the backlash stemmed from deporting immigrants who had good jobs. He also described the immigration enforcement overhaul as a factor in Republican losses across the country.
Defense of border enforcement
Trump stood by his administration’s border security decisions and its effort to remove people he called “the bad ones.” He said he believed he deserved high marks for closing the border and removing them. At the same time, he acknowledged that people with good jobs were also deported. Trump said that aspect of the policy hurt him.
A possible deal with Democrats
Asked what issue he might work on with Democrats, Trump said he would like to address immigration. He said a deal could be worked out for people who had been in the country for 10 or 15 years. When asked whether he could refrain from insulting Democrats for six months to reach an agreement, Trump said he could.
Key points
- Trump said his deportation agenda may have hurt Republicans in the midterms.
- He cited deportations of immigrants with good jobs as a source of backlash.
- Trump said he would like to work with Democrats on an immigration deal.
- Stephen Miller was elevated to replace former Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.