Bangladesh, Nov. 12 -- President Donald Trump should understand a fundamental reality of American politics: no matter how many compromises he offers or how far he moves toward the political center, Democrats and much of the mainstream national media are unlikely to become his allies. His recent 60 Minutes interview raised serious questions about whether he fully recognizes that reality. At a time when his political influence faces growing challenges, abandoning the promises that brought him to power could prove to be a costly mistake.

During the interview with journalist Ross Douthat, Trump was asked to identify one issue on which he would be willing to work with a Democratic majority in Congress. His immediate answer was immigration. He...