WASHINGTON — In his first major interview since a bruising midterm election cycle that saw his party lose control of both the House and Senate, President Donald Trump has struck a conciliatory note on immigration while simultaneously signaling a hardening of his administration’s stance against congressional Democrats.
Speaking to CBS’s “60 Minutes,” President Trump admitted that his administration’s aggressive approach to deportations may have contributed to the Republican “wipeout” at the ballot box. “I think it might be too tough, yeah,” Trump said, suggesting he is now open to working with the incoming Democratic majority to forge an immigration deal.
However, political observers remain skeptical of a pivot. Shortly after the interview, the president appointed Stephen Miller—the primary architect of his hard-line immigration policies—as his new chief of staff.
As the “lame-duck” session of Congress begins, the political atmosphere in Washington is increasingly volatile. The House and Senate have returned for a frantic six-week period, with the immediate priority being a push to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The move, led by Rep. Thomas Massie, aims to hold Hegseth accountable for the ongoing war in Iran, which many GOP lawmakers privately blame for the party’s electoral collapse.
“I’m a hard yes on the Hegseth resolution,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries declared Sunday. Jeffries accused the defense chief of undermining national security and engineering a “reckless and costly war of choice.”
President Trump has mounted a fierce defense of his secretary, telling reporters, “He’s guilty of two things, basically winning two wars. I believe we saved the Middle East and Israel combined.”
The legislative collision comes as the Department of Justice adopts a combative posture. Attorney General Todd Blanche warned that the administration would not tolerate “threats” from the incoming Democratic majority, labeling potential investigative inquiries into the executive branch as “extortion at the highest level.” Rep. Robert Garcia, slated to lead the House Oversight Committee, countered by promising aggressive investigations into what he described as the “Trump crime family.”
Amid the high-stakes political maneuvering, the president also clarified his recent social media announcement regarding a potential staff change. After claiming on Saturday that he had offered the role of White House press secretary to UFC CEO Dana White, the president walked back the statement on Sunday, calling it “just a little fun.”
As new members of Congress arrive in Washington for orientation, the divide between the two parties is stark. While Republicans are left reeling from economic concerns like rising fuel costs and the political fallout of the Iran war, emboldened Democrats are preparing to reshape the oversight agenda. With a transition of power set for January 3, 2027, the coming weeks in the Capitol promise to be as chaotic as they are consequential.
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