United States President Donald Trump has acknowledged that his administration’s mass deportation policy may have been excessively harsh, admitting that the approach could have contributed to his political setbacks.
Trump made the remarks during an interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes, excerpts of which were released on Sunday ahead of the programme’s television broadcast.
Reflecting on his administration’s immigration crackdown, the US president said the policy might have gone too far.
“I think it was too tough…I think it might be too tough,” Trump said when asked about the deportation drive.
He also admitted that the policy had “hurt” him politically, while attributing some of the Republican Party’s losses in the midterm elections to what he described as “bad messaging.”
The interview was recorded following the Republican Party’s significant losses in Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Although Trump’s administration has received support from some Americans for strengthening security along the US-Mexico border, its aggressive campaign to deport millions of undocumented immigrants has attracted widespread criticism.
The deportation drive has remained one of the administration’s most controversial policies, particularly over allegations of excessive force and the treatment of migrants by federal immigration officers.
However, Trump’s latest comments have raised questions about a possible reassessment of his immigration strategy.
Despite acknowledging the political consequences of the policy, the president has signalled his intention to maintain a tough stance on immigration.
On Friday, he appointed Stephen Miller, a key architect of his hardline immigration agenda, as his chief of staff.
Miller’s appointment is widely viewed as a signal that the administration intends to sustain its aggressive immigration approach despite the Republican Party’s electoral setbacks.
Miller has faced criticism over his support for federal immigration agents following fatal shootings involving two American citizens earlier this year.
