Trump Says U.S. Lacks Sufficient Talent, Backs Bringing Skilled Foreign Workers Through H-1B Visas

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that America does not have enough talented people domestically and expressed his willingness to attract skilled professionals from abroad. In an interviewon Tuesday, Trump stated that the country lacks enough qualified workers to fill essential job vacancies, and therefore he supports bringing in skilled workers through the H-1B visa program.

When anchor Laura Ingraham asked whether his administration planned to reduce the number of H-1B visas—citing concerns that such programs could lower wages for American workers—Trump replied, “I agree about wages, but we also need talent.”

Ingraham countered, saying, “We have plenty of talented people here.” Trump responded, “No, we don’t. Not certain kinds of talent—you have to train people. You can’t just take someone from the unemployment line and tell them, ‘I’m going to put you in a factory where missiles are made.’”

The president referred to an ICE raid that took place in September at a Hyundai plant in Georgia, where hundreds of South Korean contractors were detained and deported due to immigration issues. “They raided the place because they wanted to remove illegal immigrants,” Trump said. “These were people who had been making batteries their whole lives. Battery manufacturing is very complex and dangerous—there are explosions and risks. They had about 500–600 people making batteries and training others. Laura, you need that kind of skill.”

Earlier, in September, Trump signed an executive order imposing a $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas—a move seen as part of his broader effort to tighten immigration and restrict foreign entry into the U.S. The H-1B visa allows skilled foreign workers to work in the U.S. for three years, with an option to renew for another three. Economists say the program helps U.S. companies stay competitive, expand their businesses, and ultimately create more jobs domestically.

In the first part of the interview, Trump also criticized France and expressed support for limiting Chinese student admissions to U.S. universities. “It’s better to have people from countries that send folks back,” he said.

Ingraham responded, “They’re not French—they’re Chinese. They spy on us and steal our intellectual property.” Trump replied, “Do you think the French are better?” When Ingraham said, “Yes,” Trump countered, “I’m not so sure.”