A CNN analyst was shocked on Wednesday after a new interview with President Donald Trump revealed that he acknowledged that his administration could change its approach to immigration.
Trump, whose administration has faced criticism over fatal ICE shootings of American citizens, detaining children, and unlawful activity, was interviewed by NBC News, appearing to admit mistakes amid the growing public backlash.
"I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch, but you still have to be tough," Trump said. "These are criminals we're dealing with, really hard criminals. But look, I've called the people. I've called the governor. I've called the mayor, spoke to them, had great conversations with them. And then I see them ranting and raving out there. Literally, as though it wasn't made."
CNN Washington bureau chief and political director David Chalian was surprised by Trump's reaction and shared his own takeaways from the recent statement.
"Yeah, he's clearly not looking to change the overall approach and strategy of what he ran on and what he was elected to do in mass deportation," Chalian said.
"But it is interesting to hear him take the rhetoric and try to place it back on the worst of the worst criminals that he understands that what occurred in Minneapolis got far afield from what he had actually sort of talked about and promised, and saw the backlash from the country on this," Chalian added. "And so normally you would hear somebody ask President Trump, say, 'What have you learned?' You would think you'd get bluster of, like, 'I've learned what I always knew or something.' No, he acknowledged learning something that this requires a 'softer touch.' Now again, I don't want to say we're going to see 180 degree turn here. But he's clearly responding to the fact that the country was really displeased with what they were seeing."