Trump has ‘nuanced’ opinion on H-1B visa, he wants…: White House
Her comments come after Trump's recent defence of the H-1B visa programme at the US Saudi Investment forum.
Amid growing scrutiny on the H-1B visa in the US, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated President Donald Trump's commitment to protecting American jobs while encouraging foreign investment in the United States.
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“The President does not support American workers being replaced... The President wants to see the American manufacturing industry revitalised better than ever before. That's part of what he's doing with his effective use of tariffs and cutting good trade deals around the world,” Leavitt said.
‘Nuanced, common sense opinion’
Terming Trump's views on H-1B visa as “nuanced” and “common sense opinion”, Leavitt said: “If foreign companies are investing trillions of dollars in the United States of America and bringing in foreign workers to create niche products like batteries, he wants to see that at the beginning to get those manufacturing facilities and factories up and running. But ultimately, the President always wants to see American workers in those jobs.”
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Leavitt added that Trump has been direct with foreign companies investing in the US, stating, "He's told these foreign companies that are investing here, you better be hiring my people if you're going to be doing business in the United States."
Off late, Trump has defended the H-1B visa programme, saying that he "loves his conservative friends and MAGA" but believes the United States needs skilled foreign workers.
Trump's softening stance on H-1B visa
Speaking at the US Saudi Investment Forum on November 20, he pushed back against criticism from within his own political base.
“You can't come in, open a massive computer chip factory for billions and billions of dollars like is being done in Arizona, and think you're gonna hire people off an unemployment line to run it. They're gonna have to bring thousands of people with them, and I'm gonna welcome those people. This is MAGA,” he said at the event last week.
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He further argued that the H-1B system remains necessary for industries relying on expertise that cannot be immediately sourced domestically. Defending his position, he said, "No, you don't. You don't have certain talents... You can't take people off the unemployment line and expect them to operate advanced factories or make missiles."
