Trump Admits Deportation Crackdown Went Too Far And Hurt Republicans In Midterm Elections

President Donald Trump has acknowledged that his administration's aggressive deportation policies may have gone too far and contributed to Republican losses in the midterm elections.

In an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes that aired Sunday night, Trump admitted that his approach to immigration enforcement had potentially damaged his party's standing with voters.

"I think it was too tough," Trump said. "And I think -- I think ultimately, that hurt me," he added.

Trump's comments come as he has elevated Stephen Miller, one of the leading architects of his immigration policies, to replace former Chief of Staff Susie Wiles on Monday. Although the president recognized that immigration enforcement may have played a role in the Republican Party's election setbacks, he defended his administration's efforts to strengthen border security and remove immigrants he described as dangerous.

Trump Says Deportation Of Immigrants With Jobs Hurt Republicans

Trump attributed some of the political backlash to the deportation of immigrants who had established jobs and contributed to workplaces across the country.

He maintained that his administration deserved high marks for securing the border and removing people he considered dangerous, but acknowledged that the broader enforcement strategy also affected workers with employment.

"I think I got an A+ for closing up the border. I get very high marks for getting the bad ones out, but I get hurt because we also took people that had good jobs," Trump said.

The president pointed to immigrants working in hotels, restaurants and landscaping as examples of people whose removal had become controversial.

"When you go into a hotel and you have a woman that's worked there as a, you know, as a maid, as a cleaner ... as a waitress, a lot of good things, great jobs. And all of a sudden they're being taken out of the country. It's tough. It's a tough thing," Trump said.

He also suggested that some immigrants who had lived in the United States for a decade or longer should be considered for an arrangement allowing them to remain and work.

"Let the people that are here and in some cases here for 10 and 15 years, work a deal for them," Trump said.

Trump Open To Immigration Deal With Democrats After Midterms

Trump also expressed interest in reaching an agreement with Democrats on immigration following the midterm elections.

Asked whether there was an issue on which he believed he could cooperate with Democrats, the president identified immigration as a possible area for negotiations.

"I'd love to do something on immigration," Trump said.

He suggested that an agreement could be achievable if both sides were willing to work toward a compromise.

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"Well, the deal would be we would work something out. And I think it's something -- I think that's something that's actually doable," Trump said.

Trump further claimed that people had already approached him about a possible agreement, although he did not identify who had contacted him.

"People have already called me," he said.

The president's comments indicate that he is willing to consider discussions about the status of certain immigrants who have lived and worked in the United States for extended periods.

Trump Says He Could Avoid Insulting Democrats During Immigration Talks

During the interview, Trump was also asked whether he could refrain from insulting Democrats for six months if doing so would help secure an immigration agreement.

He said he could.

The exchange came as Trump discussed the possibility of working with Democrats after the midterm elections, despite the political disagreements between the two parties.

While he defended his administration's border security measures and deportation efforts, Trump acknowledged that removing immigrants with established jobs had created difficulties for his party among voters.