US President Donald Trump acknowledged that “dissatisfaction with Israel and gas prices are among the main reasons for the defeat of Republicans in the midterm elections.”
He added during an interview with the “60 Minutes” program on the American CBS network, which was broadcast on Sunday, that the deportation policy pursued by his administration was “very harsh,” while at the same time offering to “reach an agreement” on immigration with the Democrats, in a concession that followed the major defeat suffered by the Republicans in the midterm elections.
Iran war and hatred of Israel
The US President blamed the war with Iran and high gasoline prices for much of the Republican defeat in the midterm elections, agreeing with his Vice President J.D. Vance's assessment that the conflict was a major factor.
Trump referred to what he described as growing distaste for Israel, but maintained that the “military campaign” against Iran was justified, and said he would make the same decision again. He added: “My answer is a definite yes. Because Iran cannot be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon.”
Trump confirmed that the war had been decided in favor of the United States, and he expected that Tehran would eventually negotiate an agreement. He acknowledged that the “military campaign” may be unpopular in the short term, saying: “I think this decision will be very good from a historical standpoint.” Is it a good decision for today and tomorrow? Maybe not.”
He said he does not seek to escalate the conflict after the midterm elections.
In another context, the American President spoke about Israel, saying, “Without us, Israel would not exist. Without Donald Trump, Israel would not exist; We sent - more than a year ago - those wonderful B-2 bombers, and we hit all three sites at that time. Did you know? I call what resulted from this (nuclear fallout); “These sites were filled with what could be described as nuclear fallout.”
Too harsh policy
In the interview, Trump admitted that his tough campaign against immigrants had hurt him politically, and said he was open to reaching an understanding that would allow some undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States.
The program's correspondent, Ross Douthat, asked the president whether his deportation policy had gone too far. He replied: “I think it was too harsh.” I think it might have been too harsh, yes. “Many will say it is wonderful, but many will think it is too harsh.”
Trump's statements are an unusually frank acknowledgment that one of the key policies that characterized his second administration has become a political liability. But it appeared to conflict with his decision, on Friday, to promote Stephen Miller, the architect of his tough campaign against immigration, to the position of White House chief of staff, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
Since his return to power, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has launched widespread raids in workplaces, homes, and public places, targeting people without criminal records, separating families, and spreading fear among immigrant communities. Federal agents also shot two American citizens, Renee Goode and Alex Peretti; Which led to their killing during operations in Minneapolis earlier this year.
Trump said that his policy “helped and hurt him” at the same time. It received an “A+” rating for “closing the borders,” and “very high grades” for removing “bad people.” But he admitted, saying: “I was harmed because we also took people who had good jobs, and they committed one violation or violation of the law, which was entering the country illegally.”
He added that there are differing opinions within the United States on whether irregular immigrants should be deported or allowed to stay if they work and pay taxes. He said some people think they "should be allowed to stay if they are good people and work for a landscaping company," and "in some cases, they pay taxes."
Agreement with the Democrats
Trump said he believes an agreement with Democrats is possible, allowing some long-time undocumented residents to stay, while continuing to deport those convicted of serious crimes. He proposed targeting murderers, rapists, and drug dealers, while reaching a settlement for people who had spent 10 or 15 years in the country.
“Let the people who are here, some of whom have been here for 10 or 15 years, come to an agreement,” he said. He described the proposal as negotiable, adding: “I believe that this is something that can actually be achieved.”
Trump indicated that Democrats are ready to compromise, saying that some of them have already contacted him. When asked if he could refrain from insulting for six months in order to reach an agreement, he replied: “Very easily.”
Economic “failure”.
Regarding the economy, the president acknowledged that his administration had failed to communicate its achievements effectively, although he reiterated that employment, investment, and stock market indicators had reached record levels. He said: “I think the problem was in the messages, and perhaps from me.”
Trump has shown openness to setting controls for artificial intelligence, despite his previous preference for letting technology companies regulate their work on their own rather than imposing broad government restrictions. He told the program: “I don’t mind setting controls, but I don’t want us to put ourselves in a position that is too late.”
Endorsing a candidate for the 2028 race
Trump also offered a glimpse into the succession battle within the Republican Party ahead of the 2028 presidential election, saying he may endorse a candidate, but has not yet decided whether he will intervene in the race. When asked whether he expected a successor to support him, he replied: “Most likely, but not necessarily.”
He described the Republican Party as having a strong group of potential candidates, and praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio, without excluding other candidates.
The president said that his support would carry great weight, but hinted that it would be better for him to stay away from the competition. He also expressed his confidence in the ability of the “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement to continue without him as its leader, and identified its most prominent principles in border force and the army.
A report published by the Axios news website revealed that US President Donald Trump informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a phone call on Thursday, of his desire to take steps to implement his peace plan in Gaza, following the end of the Israeli elections held on October 27.
Trump's plan includes a roadmap to disarm Hamas and transfer responsibility for managing the Gaza Strip to a new technocratic Palestinian government, as well as launching a reconstruction and stabilization process.
But the implementation of this plan remained on hold for months due to the Israeli elections, as the Trump administration was keen for the implementation of the plan not to become a politically controversial issue during the Israeli election campaign, according to what Axios reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
Trump had expressed his support for Netanyahu before the elections. Now, after its end, the president seeks to move forward with his plan regarding Gaza, according to the sources.
The sources indicated that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, participated in the phone call between Trump and Netanyahu.
One of the sources described the call, which Netanyahu initiated, as constructive, noting that it also addressed the war in Iran.
Neither the White House nor the Israeli Prime Minister's Office issued an immediate comment on requests for comment regarding the call.
Israel and Hamas agreed about a year ago on the first phase of Trump's 20-point plan, which resulted in a ceasefire in the Gaza war and the release of the last 20 surviving hostages who were detained during the attacks of October 7, 2023.
Since then, the “Peace Council” established within the framework of the Gaza Agreement has worked to prepare a plan to implement the next stages, including the formation of a technocratic Palestinian government and the establishment of an international force to stabilize the Strip.
Last July, the Peace Council reached an agreement with Hamas on a 15-point plan to disarm the armed factions in Gaza and transfer civilian and security control to the new Palestinian government.
However, the Netanyahu government did not show sufficient willingness to proceed with implementing the agreement, for reasons related to internal politics in Israel.
During a visit to Israel last August, Kushner informed Netanyahu that Hamas had agreed for the first time to disarm, and urged him to take steps to test the seriousness of this commitment.
But Netanyahu remains deeply skeptical about the possibility of disarming the movement, stressing that it is working to reshape its capabilities and arm itself again within the Strip.
According to the Axios report, the day after the call that took place between Trump and Netanyahu, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a member of the “Peace Council,” visited Israel, where he met Netanyahu and his political rival Gadi Eisenkot, who is charged with forming a new government to succeed Netanyahu’s government.
A source familiar with the visit said that Blair urged Netanyahu and other Israeli political leaders to give the plan a chance to be implemented.
Commenting on the course of the plan, an American official said: “Implementation will be difficult, but we believe it is a good plan for Israel. However, we cannot implement it with our hands tied behind our back.”
He added: “We want to move forward cooperatively, and we need full cooperation and partnership from the Israeli government.”
