President Donald Trump’s defense of H-1B visas, used to bring skilled foreign workers into the U.S., sparked anger among social media users within his MAGA movement, who accused him of betrayal and losing touch with what they think.
The centerpiece of Trump’s “America First” agenda has been a fierce crackdown on immigration, both legal and illegal, which he says has come at the expense of Americans’ economic security and public safety.
A softening of his position on immigration would be a substantial break with the MAGA movement that helped to deliver him the White House twice.
Trump, in an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham, said H-1B visas were needed because you “have to bring in talent”. When Ingraham pushed back, saying the U.S. has plenty of domestic talent, Trump replied: “No, you don’t.”
“You don’t have certain talents” and “people have to learn,” Trump said. “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.'” He added: “It doesn’t work that way.”
Savanah Hernandez, a MAGA influencer and contributor to conservative youth group Turning Point USA, called Trump’s comments “disheartening” in a post on X.
“Trump needs to get out of his bubble and back on the ground listening to the American people who elected him to work for us,” Hernandez said. “His H-1B comment shows how out of touch with the base he has become.”
The “ChiefTrumpster” account on X shared the clip of Trump’s comments, saying: “Not good. We need to be prioritizing American students and workers-replacing us isn’t the answer!”
Matt Morse, an “America First” content creator and commentator, called the interview “catastrophic for Trump”.
“Whoever’s in Trump’s inner-circle that’s been telling him that we need more H-1B visas, 50 year mortgages, and 600,000 Chinese students needs to be FIRED IMMEDIATELY,” Morse posted on X. “AMERICA FIRST.”
Morse later followed up: “I am one of the largest pro-Trump commentators in the nation. I get tens of millions of views every single month talking about Trump’s America First agenda.
“And right now, I’m absolutely f****** beyond P***** OFF that tonight, as a justification for H-1B visas, Trump said that Americans don’t ‘have talent.’ Absolutely unreal.”
Evan Kilgore, a self-described American nationalist, called it a betrayal.
“Donald Trump has betrayed the American people over some H-1B Indians,” Kilgore said in a post on X. “It’s so over.”
This is a developing article. Updates to follow.
