President Donald Trump has said the U.S. needs up to 600,000 Chinese students, sparking criticism from his MAGA supporters.
In August, during trade talks with Beijing, Trump said hundreds of thousands of Chinese students would be allowed into the United States to study.
On Monday, Fox News’ The Ingraham Angle aired an interview in which host Laura Ingraham asked the president about his previous remarks, saying it was not a “pro-MAGA position” and arguing that there were concerns that Chinese students “spy on us” and “steal our intellectual property.”
Trump defended his position, saying the influx of Chinese students was important for American colleges and universities to stay in business.
Michael Flynn, who briefly served as Trump’s national security adviser in 2017, was one of several supporters who spoke out against this argument, saying, “Let’s not give the Chinese anymore leverage than they already have.”
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Some of Trump’s foreign policy positions, such as his recent $40 billion bailout for Argentina, have garnered criticism from his base. Major MAGA figures, including Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, have pushed for the president to focus more on domestic policies.
Trump’s doubling down on the U.S.’s need for Chinese students may test the durability of his supporters and their core positions on China, national security and American employment.
What To Know
During the interview, Ingraham said: “A lot of MAGA folks are not thrilled about this idea of hundreds of thousands of foreign students in the United States. … You’ve said as many as 600,000 Chinese students could come to the United States. Why, sir, is that a pro-MAGA position when so many American kids want to go to school and there are places not for them, and these universities are getting rich off Chinese money?”
Trump responded: “We do have a lot of people coming in from China, and we always have—China and other countries. We also have a massive system of colleges and universities, and if we were to cut that in half, which perhaps makes some people happy, you would have half the colleges in the United States go out of business.”
“So? So what?” Ingraham said.
“Well, I think it’s a big deal,” Trump replied.
Later in the conversation, Ingraham said: “They’re not the French. They’re the Chinese. They spy on us. They steal our intellectual property.”
“You think the French are better?” Trump said.
When Ingraham said she did, Trump continued: “I’ll tell you, I’m not so sure. We’ve had a lot of problems with the French, where we get taxed very unfairly on our technology.”
He added: “We’re taking trillions of dollars from students. You know, the students pay more than double when they come in from most foreign countries. I want to see our school system thrive.”
What People Are Saying
Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn wrote on X: “Sorry Mr. @POTUS if we didn’t allow 600K Chinese spies to steal even more intellectual property and other ideas about how to dominate are our way of life, it wouldn’t make a dent in U.S. colleges and universities. …
“We simply don’t need to help the Chinese anymore with their plans to be the sole superpower this century. Let’s not give the Chinese anymore leverage than they already have. They’ve been ripping us off for years. Because of that they have significant advantages over us now—and they have zero desire nor intent to make America great again.”
User @AlstroemeriaSun, whose bio includes the term “MAGA,” wrote on X: “Dear @POTUS, this is not at all what MAGA wants. We don’t want Chinese students (spies), most especially we don’t want them propping up a massively corrupt higher education that has done so much damage to our country.”
Dina McMillan, a social psychologist and self-described “loyal MAGA,” wrote on X: “I can only speak for myself. But as a loyal MAGA and a social scientist, I wouldn’t want a single Chinese student in America. No new students and remove those already here. Other MAGA people—agree or disagree?”
C. Jay Engel, who calls himself a “heritage American” in his bio, wrote on X: “My brother in Christ, your entire base wants over half the colleges in the United States to out of business.”
What Happens Next
The White House has indicated that 600,000 student visas for Chinese nationals will be issued over the next two years, keeping with trends in previous administrations but setting a new record.
Intense debate is likely to continue among Republican lawmakers, MAGA activists and leaders in higher education as universities welcome upcoming international intakes.
