During an interview with Fox News star Laura Ingraham, President Donald Trump defended his decision to add a $100,000 price tag to H-1B visas by saying the United States needs to “bring in talent” to teach Americans how to work in certain environments, including factories that manufacture batteries.
When Ingraham said, “we have plenty of talented people” here in America, Trump replied, “no you don’t.” He added, “You don’t have certain talents.”
Trump’s comments have triggered an uproar from MAGA influencers including Tim Pool — who wrote “Dont [sic] worry Trump is bringing in more H1Bs to make sure our young people are [expletive]” — and Trump’s former White House chief strategist and MAGA media star Steve Bannon.
BANNON: The single worst performance of any cabinet secretary was Lutnick in the Oval Office with the new H1B rule. Total scam. He told the president $100k a year for 5 or 6 years would close the deficit, which should make you say hang on, how many are you letting in? Either he’s… pic.twitter.com/4vtdYhL9f2
— Grace Chong, MBI (@gc22gc) November 12, 2025
Bannon responded to the decision to exploit the H-1B visas financially by blaming Trump’s Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick: “The single worst performance of any cabinet secretary was Lutnick in the Oval Office with the new H1B rule. Total scam. He told the president $100k a year for 5 or 6 years would close the deficit, which should make you say hang on, how many are you letting in? Either he’s lying or he’s not that bright.
[NOTE: Bannon does not extend the blame to Trump, nor does he assign to the President the responsibility to recognize fuzzy math — or lies — when they are presented to him by his Cabinet.]
Note: According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the federal government caps new H-1B visas to 65,000 workers (with at least a bachelor’s degree), with an additional 20,000 visas for people who have earned a master’s degree or higher from an American higher education institution.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) responded to Trump’s decision by addressing her followers on social media: “I am solidly against you being replaced by foreign labor, like with H1Bs.”
More than one MAGA supporter complained that many H1B visa recipients bring their families with them when they move to the U.S.
Again, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the spouse and unmarried children (under 21 years of age) “may seek admission in the H-4 nonimmigrant classification. Certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B nonimmigrants can file Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, as long as the H-1B nonimmigrant has already started the process of seeking employment-based lawful permanent resident status.”
Note: A guest on the Tim Pool podcast suggested that H-1B workers “can bring their elderly parents so they can instantly go on social security,” however, they cannot bring parents as dependents, it’s only for their spouses and unmarried children under 21.
Even Trump supporters like Kevin O’Leary, the investor and Shark Tank star, object to the new position on H-1B visas, saying that “curating” foreign talent to emigrate to the U.S. and create businesses in capitalist America is the smartest policy.
Otherwise, O’Leary asserts, China will take the talent that America should be nurturing. Asked in the interview below about Trump’s rule change to charge $100K per visa, O’Leary responds: “It’s nuts! That’s a crazy idea!”
O’Leary: Do we want the Chinese to train them, or do we want them? We want them. Every single one of them to stay here. And I want them to get their passports, their families get passports, they create jobs, and I will invest in them. Every single one. pic.twitter.com/K3MwXo9AtH
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 13, 2025