Trump says immigration crackdown went too far and harmed midterm results
In a CBS interview Trump said he deserves "5 plus" for limiting illegal crossings but was politically harmed by mass deportations.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said his hardline approach to immigration went too far and acknowledged it likely contributed to his party’s losses in the recent midterm elections.
Speaking in an interview with CBS, Trump said he believes he deserves "5 plus" for sharply reducing illegal border crossings, but conceded he was politically damaged by large-scale deportations. The remark came even as the Department of Homeland Security continued to assert that the tough measures would remain in place.
Voting priorities and regional shifts
Exit polls on election day showed immigration ranked behind only the economy and concerns about the state of democracy as the voters’ top issues. Those findings suggested immigration was important but not decisive compared with other national concerns.
In historically conservative states such as Texas, a swing of Latino voters toward the Democrats helped secure the party’s sizable majority in Congress. Analysts said that the shift in those communities was one of several factors that shaped the overall outcome.
Trump’s public admission marks a rare acknowledgement from a leading Republican figure that the party’s immigration stance may have cost it politically, even as officials responsible for enforcing border policy signaled continuity in enforcement priorities.
Photo: AP)
