President Donald Trump faced unexpected criticism from his own base this week after comments he made about American talent.
Featured VideoDuring a Fox News appearance with Laura Ingraham on The Ingraham Angle, Trump suggested that the United States might not have enough skilled workers to fill specialized jobs. The brief exchange quickly spread across social media and conservative news circles.
Although Trump has long framed his policies around “America First,” his remarks seemed to contradict that message. Many of his strongest supporters, who once viewed him as the loudest advocate for American workers, saw the statement as a major misstep.
AdvertisementWhat did Trump say to Ingraham about H-1B visas?
In the Tuesday interview, Ingraham pressed Trump about the use of H-1B visas. She questioned whether bringing in more foreign workers undermined the domestic labor force. Trump initially agreed with her concerns, but then added, “Well, I agree, but you also do have to bring in talent.”
Ingraham responded quickly, “We have plenty of talented people here.”
Trump pushed back, saying, “No, you don’t.”
AdvertisementThe back-and-forth continued briefly before Ingraham asked again, “We don’t have talented people here?” Trump repeated, “No.”
Reactions from former allies and MAGA supporters
It didn’t take long before the clip began circulating widely on social media. Trump supporters and conservative commentators reposted it, accusing Trump of dismissing American workers. Even though Trump has often praised U.S. innovation in the past, this remark appeared to contradict his earlier rhetoric.
AdvertisementLongtime Trump supporter and actor Kevin Sorbo wrote, “What an atrocious thing to say. This will cost republicans the midterms.”
Logan Hall of The Blaze posted, “I’m sorry but what the f*** is this? American talent split the atom and went to the moon. American talent built everything the modern world takes for granted now. Give me a break. This is insanity.”
Pro-Trump commentator Matt Morse, meanwhile, wrote, “I am one of the largest pro-Trump commentators in the nation. I get tens of millions of views every single month talking about Trump’s America First agenda. And right now, I’m absolutely f**ing beyond PISSED OFF that tonight, as a justification for H-1B visas, Trump said that Americans don’t ‘have talent.’ Absolutely unreal.”
Advertisement“Trump hates America and Americans,” Kevin Bass (@kevinnbass) claimed. “This is the only explanation I can come up with for this pattern of behavior. He wants to import the third world to take Americans’ jobs.”
Meanwhile, Republican politician Anthony Sabatini warned of political fallout. “This is insane—we are going to lose the mid-terms so badly,” he said in a tweet.
“We’ve never seen an administration crash & burn in its first year so badly—for no reason other than to appease donors & special interests. Trump has surrounded himself with the worst people,” he wrote, arguing that Trump’s inner circle had lost touch with the party’s core voters.
AdvertisementOthers offered their own interpretations. Raheem Kassam, editor of The National Pulse, compared the moment to Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Additional commenters labeled the remarks “completely tone-deaf,” “out of touch,” and an all-time low point.
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