You Do Have To Bring In Talent: Trump Shifting On H1B And Student Visas?

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – “You do have to bring in talent,” President Donald Trump told Fox News host Laura Ingraham on November 11, startling his MAGA base. When loyalist Ingraham insisted, “We have plenty of talent,” Trump countered, “No, you don’t. You don’t have certain talents. You can’t take people off an unemployment line and say, I’m going to put you into a factory. We’re going to make missiles.”

The comments mark a notable change in tone for Trump, who only months ago had vowed to clamp down on foreign worker visas under his “America First” agenda. In September, his administration imposed a $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas and launched investigations into potential program abuses.

Now, Trump appears to be softening his stance. Defending both the H-1B program and international student enrollment, he said the U.S. must welcome skilled workers and foreign students to remain competitive. “You don’t want to cut half the students coming into our country and destroy our universities,” he said. “It’s good to have outside countries. I want to be able to get along with the world.”

Trump warned that restricting international admissions could cripple smaller colleges that depend on overseas tuition. “Half of the U.S. colleges would go out of business if we cut that in half,” he said, describing foreign students as vital to the education system and U.S. economy.

The remarks contrast sharply with ongoing restrictions, including tighter visa checks ordered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a proposed plan to cap international enrollment at 15 percent.

Both visas are used extensively by Indians and with rhetoric during his campaign and after assuming office, Trump and his cabinet’s statements have been filled with vitriol which has badly affected the image and drawn backlash against Indians.

Social media is now reflecting that his statements has not gone down well with his MAGA base which seems stunned with Trump’s new stance and softening approach. (with IANS inputs)