WASHINGTON (AP) — The President donald trump President Trump has made tough immigration policies a central issue, but on Wednesday he acknowledged that he has been criticized by Make America Great Again supporters for his recent comments that some skilled immigrants should be allowed into the country.
President Trump told business executives that the United States needs immigrants who can train domestic workers in high-tech factories, arguing that doing so is consistent with his core political beliefs.
“I love my conservative friends. I love MAGA. But this is MAGA,” President Trump said in a speech at the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, which he attended with the Saudi crown prince. Mohammed bin Salman. “Those people will be teaching our employees how to make computer chips, and in a short period of time our employees will be doing great things. And those people can go home.”
The comment drew applause from the audience. But last week, Trump sparred with a Fox News host. Laura Ingraham About the same issue. Ingraham suggested in an interview with President Trump that “we can’t bring tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of foreign workers into this country,” to which the president responded, “We need to bring in talent as well.”
When Ingraham said the United States had “a lot of talent,” Trump said, “No, that’s not true,” adding, “People have to learn.”
The exchange prompted swift and sharp criticism online from some in the MAGA movement, which has opposed the expansion. H-1B visaand other programs designed to welcome skilled immigrants into the country.
Still, Trump doubled down on Wednesday, adding that despite his opposition to skilled immigration, his critics are “really, really smart.” “These are incredible patriots,” Trump said. “But they don’t understand that our people need to be educated.”
Trump said it was impossible to “think we could hire people off the unemployment line and run” the “extremely complex” domestic factories that make computers, cellphones and missiles.
Foreign owners building factories in the United States “are going to have to bring in thousands of people, but I’m going to welcome those people,” Trump said.
As evidence, the president cited the case of hundreds of South Koreans who were detained and left the United States after the September riots. immigration raid Hyundai’s electric vehicle manufacturing site in Georgia. Some have now returned to work and are returning to work.
Trump said the workers were ordered to “get out,” but “I said, ‘Stop, don’t be stupid.'”
