Trump Holds ‘Nuanced’ View on H-1B Visas, Seeks Balanced Reform: White House

As scrutiny over the H-1B visa programme intensifies in the United States, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday reiterated President Donald Trump’s commitment to prioritising American workers while still encouraging foreign investment.

“The President does not support American workers being replaced,” Leavitt said. “He wants to see American manufacturing revitalised better than ever before. That’s part of what he’s doing with his effective use of tariffs and strong trade deals around the world.”

‘Nuanced, common-sense opinion’ on H-1B

Describing Trump’s stance on H-1B visas as “nuanced” and a “common-sense opinion,” Leavitt said the President supports the temporary use of specialised foreign workers when foreign companies invest heavily in the U.S.

“If foreign companies are investing trillions of dollars in the United States and bringing in foreign workers to create niche products like batteries, he wants to see that at the beginning to get those manufacturing facilities up and running,” she said. “But ultimately, the President always wants to see American workers in those jobs.”

Leavitt added that Trump has been blunt with foreign firms: “He’s told these companies that are investing here — you better be hiring my people if you’re going to be doing business in the United States.”

Trump’s evolving tone on H-1B visas

In recent weeks, Trump has publicly defended the H-1B programme, saying that while he “loves his conservative friends and MAGA,” the U.S. still needs highly skilled foreign workers.

Speaking at the U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum on November 20, he pushed back against critics within his own political base.

“You can’t come in, open a massive computer-chip factory for billions and billions of dollars like what’s being built in Arizona, and think you’re going to hire people off an unemployment line to run it,” he said. “They’re going to have to bring thousands of people with them — and I’m going to welcome those people. This is MAGA.”

He added that the H-1B system remains crucial for sectors that rely on expertise not immediately available in the domestic workforce.
“No, you don’t have certain talents,” Trump said. “You can’t take people off the unemployment line and expect them to operate advanced factories or make missiles.”