Trump Argues U.S. Workforce Lacks Needed Skills, Stirring
MAGA Outrage Over H-1B Support

Los Angeles/Nov 13, 2025
NRIpress.club/Ramesh/ A.Gary Singh

US President Donald Trump sparked a wave of criticism from his MAGA supporters after defending the H-1B visa program, arguing in a recent interview that the United States still needs to “bring in talent.” He dismissed the idea that America already has enough skilled workers, a position that clashed with his base.

During an exchange on Fox News, host Laura Ingraham pressed Trump on the impact of H-1B visas, suggesting the program harms American wages. Trump acknowledged her concern but insisted that certain specialized skills are still lacking within the U.S. workforce. When Ingraham countered that the country has “plenty of talented people,” Trump disagreed, saying, “No you don’t… You don’t have certain talents.”

Trump’s remarks mirror the long-held stance of many business and tech leaders who argue that the H-1B program fills critical workforce gaps. But this issue has repeatedly created friction within the MAGA movement and even inside Trump’s own administration.
Tech billionaire and former Trump adviser Elon Musk has previously voiced support for expanding H-1B opportunities — a position that triggered strong pushback from influential MAGA figure Steve Bannon. The divide resurfaced again this week.

Trump’s comments “broke everyone’s heart,” conservative commentator Mike Cernovich wrote on social media, while Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene reaffirmed her opposition to American workers being “replaced by foreign labor.” Savanah Hernandez of Turning Point USA called Trump’s remarks “disheartening,” saying he needs to reconnect with the voters who put him in office.

Although Trump has tightened H-1B rules — including implementing a $100,000 fee per application in September — his ongoing defense of the program remains one of the rare immigration policies where he stands at odds with parts of his base.

White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said the new fee is intended to curb abuses and protect American workers from being undercut by lower-wage foreign hires.

Under current federal limits, the U.S. issues 65,000 new H-1B visas annually, with an additional 20,000 slots reserved for applicants with advanced degrees from U.S. universities. The program allows employers to hire highly educated professionals for “specialty occupations,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Initial approval typically lasts up to three years, with extensions possible for a total stay of six years.

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