Trump backs H-1B visa, skilled foreign workers, says they must teach Americans ‘how to make chips’
Speaking at the US–Saudi Investment Forum, the President said America must rely on overseas expertise to build critical industries
- Nov 20, 2025,
- Updated Nov 20, 2025 12:49 PM IST
President Donald Trump reignited debate over America’s skilled-worker shortages on Wednesday, openly defending the need for foreign talent even as his own conservative base pushes back. Speaking at the US–Saudi Investment Forum, the President said America must rely on overseas expertise to build critical industries, arguing that skilled workers were essential to “teach our people” how to make “computer chips and other things.”
Trump’s full-throated endorsement of foreign workers comes at a time when his administration is tightening H-1B visa rules, a combination that has left many MAGA supporters accusing him of drifting from his “America First” doctrine. The shift, however, is likely to be welcomed by Indian professionals, who make up the largest share of America’s high-skilled foreign workforce.
Acknowledging the backlash, Trump sought to clarify why foreign labour remained central to his strategy. “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 are gonna hire people off an unemployment line to run it. They are gonna have to bring thousands of people with them, and I'm gonna welcome those people,” he said.
The forum brought together top Saudi and American business leaders, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Elon Musk, underscoring the scale of investment the administration hopes to draw into the US semiconductor ecosystem.
Days after stating that the US lacks people with “certain talents,” Trump expanded his argument, signalling that foreign workers would play a role in bridging those gaps. “You are coming here, and you find that we don't have people who did that before. We are allowing you if you have to bring people to get those plants open, we want you to do that. We want those people to teach our people — how to make computer chips and how to make other things.”
Even as he reaffirmed his hard line on illegal immigration, the President admitted his new stance on skilled visas could rile his longtime supporters. “I may take little heat. I always take a little heat from my people. The people who love me and the people whom I love... I love my conservative friends. I love MAGA. But this is MAGA, and those people are going to teach our people how to make computer chips.”
President Donald Trump reignited debate over America’s skilled-worker shortages on Wednesday, openly defending the need for foreign talent even as his own conservative base pushes back. Speaking at the US–Saudi Investment Forum, the President said America must rely on overseas expertise to build critical industries, arguing that skilled workers were essential to “teach our people” how to make “computer chips and other things.”
Trump’s full-throated endorsement of foreign workers comes at a time when his administration is tightening H-1B visa rules, a combination that has left many MAGA supporters accusing him of drifting from his “America First” doctrine. The shift, however, is likely to be welcomed by Indian professionals, who make up the largest share of America’s high-skilled foreign workforce.
Acknowledging the backlash, Trump sought to clarify why foreign labour remained central to his strategy. “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 are gonna hire people off an unemployment line to run it. They are gonna have to bring thousands of people with them, and I'm gonna welcome those people,” he said.
The forum brought together top Saudi and American business leaders, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Elon Musk, underscoring the scale of investment the administration hopes to draw into the US semiconductor ecosystem.
Days after stating that the US lacks people with “certain talents,” Trump expanded his argument, signalling that foreign workers would play a role in bridging those gaps. “You are coming here, and you find that we don't have people who did that before. We are allowing you if you have to bring people to get those plants open, we want you to do that. We want those people to teach our people — how to make computer chips and how to make other things.”
Even as he reaffirmed his hard line on illegal immigration, the President admitted his new stance on skilled visas could rile his longtime supporters. “I may take little heat. I always take a little heat from my people. The people who love me and the people whom I love... I love my conservative friends. I love MAGA. But this is MAGA, and those people are going to teach our people how to make computer chips.”