White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair has reportedly warned Republicans not to talk about mass deportation. He made these remarks ahead of the midterms at the recent House Republican Conference in Doral, Florida, when discussing policies.
According to Axios, Blair has “privately” discouraged Republicans from pushing the action and urged them to focus on deporting reportedly violent offenders instead. His advice points to a new direction in Trump’s campaign, which has largely focused on mass deportation.
It’s very simple:
Republicans want to keep deporting the violent/criminal illegals that Joe Biden & the Democrats in Congress let in.
Democrats want to shield them from deportation, which is why they unanimously support sanctuary cities.
Republicans will get the violent…
— James Blair (@JamesBlairUSA) March 10, 2026
His advice comes as a result of a poll conducted in late January by Politico. The results of the poll revealed that many Americans were concerned about mass deportation. It revealed that 49% of Americans deemed President Donald Trump’s deportation campaign “too aggressive.” Only 1 in 5 voters said they supported it.
Blair’s new advice hints at a new direction for the Trump administration concerning immigration. Following the fatal Minneapolis shootings earlier this year, Republicans have faced immense scrutiny. The shootings even sparked many protests and other incidents related to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement).
This prompted critics, even in the entertainment industry, to speak out against ICE. Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, Stephen Colbert, and Jimmy Kimmel, among others, have criticized ICE and the Trump administration. Similarly, protests have erupted across various states in the U.S.
A recent NPR poll found that about 65% of Americans believe ICE has “gone too far.” That includes 27% of Republicans and 93% of Democrats, which makes sense considering even Republicans have publicly spoken out against ICE and Trump’s immigration policies.
Moreover, Trump’s rating doesn’t look very promising, according to reports by the publication. Previously, his disapproval ratings were the highest on record. They have not been this high since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Enten on Trump’s deportation program: “These numbers have completely flipped. This was such a strength for the president. It was +18 at the beginning of his presidency — one of the most popular things in his agenda. But there’s been over a 25 point switcheroo in the negative… pic.twitter.com/pImgOUCT4Y
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 19, 2026
According to the poll, about 56% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s leadership. Of those, 51% strongly disapprove. This brought his overall rating to a record low of 39%. However, a recent poll by Silver Bulletin revealed that his rating has had an uptick.
The report reveals that Trump’s current approval is at 43.5%. Blair’s recent advice hopes to continue to change these numbers ahead of the midterms. Hence, the response is to focus on deporting only those who are violent offenders in the country.
The GOP has lost almost every election for the past six months, even in heavily Republican areas. It has nothing to do with election fraud.https://t.co/BjedMwBM4g https://t.co/VmzuhKq8NF pic.twitter.com/hFBXlMVMtg
— Tony Heller 🇺🇸 🇯🇵 (@TonyClimate) March 11, 2026
The Trump administration is actively working to improve its poll numbers and its immigration approach. Amid this, Kristi Noem was recently fired from her position. Noem served as the Secretary of Homeland Security. Her firing stemmed from the outrage over the ICE protests and the Minneapolis shootings. However, Trump did not completely remove her from his administration.
Who should be the next person to get fired from the Trump Administration?
1. Pam Bondi
2. Pete Hegseth
4. RFK Jr
5. Marco Rubio
6. Stephen Miller
7. All of them
8. Name someone else
— Suzie rizzio (@Suzierizzo1) March 7, 2026
According to reports by Time, he gave Noem a new position as “Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas.” Trump announced her new position on his Truth Social account earlier this month. With Noem removed, the public is wondering if Attorney General Pam Bondi is next. Some see her removal as part of a broader damage control effort.
However, there has been no official confirmation of this. Noem’s firing and Blair’s recent advice tell the same story. The Trump administration is working hard to repair its image ahead of the midterm elections. The midterms are set for later this year, in November 2026.
