White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has defended President Donald Trump's evolving stance on the H-1B visa program, describing it as a "nuanced, common sense opinion" that balances protecting American workers with attracting vital foreign investment and expertise. Speaking amid intensifying debates within Trump's MAGA base over immigration and labor policies, Leavitt emphasized that Trump remains unwavering in his commitment to revitalizing U.S. manufacturing through tariffs and strategic trade deals, while rejecting any notion of displacing domestic jobs. "The President does not support American workers being replaced," she stated, underscoring his vision for a booming industrial sector that prioritizes citizens.

Leavitt elaborated that Trump's approach allows foreign companies to initially import specialized workers—such as engineers for cutting-edge battery or semiconductor factories—to establish operations, but with a clear mandate to transition to American hires as facilities scale up. "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," she said, framing the policy as pragmatic rather than protectionist. This comes as Trump has faced pushback from conservative allies like Laura Loomer and Steve Bannon, who argue that H-1B visas undercut American tech workers, a tension that has simmered since Trump's first term, when he imposed restrictions but later eased them for economic recovery.

The comments follow Trump's direct rebuttal at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum on November 20, 2025, where he passionately endorsed the program despite internal party friction. Addressing critics, Trump declared, "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 going to hire people off an unemployment line to run it. They're going to have to bring thousands of people with them, and I'm going to welcome those people. This is MAGA." He further contended that industries like advanced manufacturing and defense require immediate access to global talent, stating, "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."

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Trump's softened rhetoric marks a shift from his 2024 campaign trail, where he vowed stricter immigration controls, and reflects broader economic pressures, including a skilled labor shortage in STEM fields amid aggressive investments from allies like Saudi Arabia. The H-1B program, capped at 85,000 visas annually, has long been a flashpoint: proponents credit it with fueling innovation at companies like Tesla and Intel, while detractors claim it depresses wages. Leavitt's remarks aim to assuage the base by reiterating Trump's "America First" ethos, even as his administration navigates trillion-dollar foreign pledges that could inject 100,000-plus jobs into the economy.

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