2026-11-09 · contested story

Trump calls deportation policy 'too tough' hours after promoting Stephen Miller

In his first major network interview after Republicans suffered historic midterm losses — losing control of both the House and Senate — President Trump told CBS's '60 Minutes' (interviewed by Ross Douthat) that his signature deportation policy 'was too tough' and 'might be too tough,' while acknowledging the crackdown 'both helped and hurt' him politically. Trump said he got 'an A+ for closing up the border' and 'very high marks for getting the bad ones out,' but 'get[s] hurt because we also took people that had good jobs' who had committed only one violation — entering the country illegally. He floated a possible deal with incoming congressional Democrats allowing some long-term, working, tax-paying undocumented immigrants to stay. Hours before the interview aired, however, Trump elevated Stephen Miller — the architect of the hardline deportation agenda — to White House chief of staff, a juxtaposition nearly every outlet across the spectrum flagged.

How each side frames it

left
"Federal agents fatally shot two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during operations in Minneapolis this year."
"But they were seemingly at odds with his decision on Friday to elevate Stephen Miller, the architect of his immigration crackdown, to White House chief of staff."
"“Apparently, his solution was to put the man responsible for it in charge of the White House. That’s not a course correction. That’s a promotion.”"
"“I probably cannot do that, no, because I do hate some of my enemies, and I always will.”"
"In his first term, Trump also sometimes floated compromise ideas on immigration, but always backed away from any deal."
center
"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”"
"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.”"
"Still, on the question of which party voters think is better able to handle immigration, voters trust Republicans (43%) slightly more than Democrats (41%)."
"It's unclear whether the Trump administration is planning to alter its immigration enforcement strategy."
"Trump did not share the details of what the immigration deal would look like but shortly after the interview he appointed Stephen Miller, who designed the Trump administration's hardline deportation policy, as his chief of staff."
right
"President Trump admitted his hardline immigration policy went too far after the GOP’s sweeping losses in the midterm elections last week."
"“Nobody — in the last 17 months, just came out, zero people came in through our southern border, as opposed to 25 million people — 25 million people. They came in through caravans,”"
"Rounding up gangbangers is popular. Separating families is not."
"“Before you know it, you get people that get carried away in their job,” Justice told Politico, warning against “dragging people away that have lived on your street corner for 15 years.”"
"“Whether Congresswoman Salazar likes it or not, the men and women of ICE are enforcing the laws passed by Congress,” the spokesperson added."

What each side left out

The left left out — covered by the CBS News & New York Post
The right left out — covered by the The Guardian US & Los Angeles Times
The center left out — covered by the The Guardian US & The Washington Post
The right left out — covered by the Reason & National Review

What's actually true?

[verified] Trump said his deportation policy 'was too tough' / 'might be too tough' in a 60 Minutes interview with Ross Douthat.
[verified] Trump elevated Stephen Miller, architect of the hardline immigration agenda, to White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles.
[verified] About six in 10 voters surveyed by AP (over 100,000 voters) said the Trump administration's immigration enforcement had 'gone too far.'
[verified] Two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during immigration operations.
[verified] Of those detained by ICE, the vast majority had no criminal convictions and only about 5% had violent convictions; nearly 73% had no criminal conviction.
[verified] Trump proposed a possible deal letting long-term (10-15 year) undocumented residents who work and pay taxes stay, while continuing to deport killers, rapists and drug dealers.
[verified] Miller pushed ICE to aim for 3,000 arrests per day.
[verified] Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), a Trump-endorsed congresswoman, said in September that some immigration enforcement had 'gone too far' and that Hispanics who helped Trump 'feel betrayed.'

The narrative clash

Was the deportation campaign targeting the 'worst of the worst' or mostly non-criminals?
Left: A large share of the arrestees do not have criminal records beyond immigration offenses.
Right: the vast majority of those taken into custody have no criminal convictions and only about 5 percent have violent convictions ... 'Nearly three in four (73 percent) had no criminal conviction.'
Is Hispanic/Latino support for Trump's deportation agenda rising or collapsing?
Left: Just one in three Hispanic voters said they cast their ballot for a Republican in their respective US House race on Tuesday, while roughly four in ten voted for Trump two years ago
Right: A majority of Hispanic voters support the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants from the United States, a recent poll by CBS News and YouGov reveals.
Does the Miller promotion represent a course correction or continuity?
Left: The interview was recorded before Trump announced that he would elevate Miller to chief of staff, undermining his claims of working across the aisle.
Right: Trump did not share the details of what the immigration deal would look like but shortly after the interview he appointed Stephen Miller, who designed the Trump administration's hardline deportation policy, as his chief of staff.
Intent: is the "too tough" admission a real course correction or political cover?
Left: The admission is empty — he promoted the man who designed the crackdown the same week he said it went too far.
Right: It is a genuine retreat from hardline policy, forced by the GOP's midterm losses.
Legitimacy of ICE conduct: lethal overreach or lawful enforcement
Left: Operations turned deadly against Americans themselves — federal agents shot and killed two US citizens.
Right: Agents are simply executing statutes Congress wrote; objections are political, not legal.

71 sources analyzed

The Guardian US Yahoo! Search New York Post Fox News Politico Deutsche Welle The Dispatch The New York Sun Los Angeles Times CBS News Reason Fox News The Washington Post ABC 11 WTVD Reason The Federalist CNN Associated Press Boston Herald National Review NBC News The Hill The Dispatch The New York Sun Reason City Journal The Center Square Newsmax Boston Herald The Daily Signal Boston Herald The Federalist Reason The Federalist New York Post City Journal The Center Square City Journal New York Post National Review Just The News The New York Sun The Center Square Newsmax The Dispatch The New York Sun Richmond Times-Dispatch The Federalist Investor's Business Daily The Daily Signal Boston Herald National Review Richmond Times-Dispatch Newsmax New York Post Newsmax Richmond Times-Dispatch City Journal Investor's Business Daily The Daily Signal Just The News National Review Investor's Business Daily Fox News The Dispatch The Daily Signal The Center Square Just The News Just The News Richmond Times-Dispatch Investor's Business Daily

Perspectivity reads the coverage — not just who published it.

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