In a November 2025 Fox News interview, President Donald Trump defended bringing in foreign talent after host Laura Ingraham warned that large numbers of foreign workers could undermine U.S. wage growth. Trump agreed in part, then said the country lacked “certain talents” and that people needed to learn. The exchange records his argument; it does not establish a measured national skills shortage.
What did Trump say about H-1B visas on Fox News?
Ingraham raised the concern that bringing in “tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of foreign workers” could make it harder to raise wages for American workers. Trump replied, “I agree but you also do have to bring in talent.” When Ingraham said the United States had plenty of talented people, Trump answered, “No, you don’t, no you don’t,” then clarified: “No, you don’t have certain talents and you have to — people have to learn.”
The exchange is recorded in CNN’s November 12, 2025 transcript, which is marked as a rush transcript that may be updated. Trump also used a proposed factory making missiles as an example of work that would require people to learn specialized skills. His remarks were about particular capabilities and training, not a claim that Americans have no talent at all.
What did Trump mean by “certain talents”?
Trump’s point was that some specialized work may require skills that are not immediately available in the workforce and that workers may need training. The Fox exchange itself does not identify a specific occupation or quantify how many workers are needed. His example of a proposed missile factory illustrates his argument, but does not show whether a shortage exists or whether H-1B hiring is the right response.
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In a later press exchange, reporter Rebeka Zeljko asked Trump to clarify his H-1B remarks. Trump discussed semiconductor production and training Americans to make chips. He said, “But we have to train our people how to make chips because we didn’t—we used to do it.” The official transcript of the November 2025 exchange documents what he said; his assertions that chip production would return to the United States are predictions, not verified outcomes.
How do the wage concern and the skills argument differ?
| Argument | What it says | What the transcripts establish |
|---|---|---|
| Wages and displacement | Ingraham argued that large numbers of foreign workers could impede wage increases for U.S. workers. | The interview records her concern, not the actual wage effect of H-1B hiring. |
| Specialized hiring and training | Trump argued that some work calls for skills the country lacks and that workers need to learn; he later cited chipmaking. | The transcripts document his position and example, not an independently measured shortage or proof that H-1B hiring is the appropriate remedy. |
These are competing policy considerations, not conclusions settled by the exchange. The available transcripts do not quantify program-wide wage effects or establish a nationwide shortage in the specific skills Trump referenced.
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Does the $100,000 H-1B payment apply to current visa holders?
Not as a blanket charge on every H-1B worker. The White House’s September 18, 2026 proclamation extends the $100,000 payment condition for certain H-1B entrants for 12 months from September 21, 2026, through September 21, 2027, subject to further action. It provides an exception when the Secretary of Homeland Security determines that hiring the affected workers is in the national interest and does not threaten U.S. security or welfare. The proclamation says payments had been made for more than 700 petitions as of its date; that is a statement about petitions, not a count of all H-1B workers.
The 2026 White House proclamation describes the current stated extension and exception. It should be distinguished from USCIS’s September 20, 2025 implementation memo, which explained the original restriction’s scope: it applied to employment-based H-1B petitions filed after 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on September 21, 2025. The memo said the initial restriction did not apply to beneficiaries of earlier-filed petitions, currently approved petitions, or people with validly issued H-1B visas, and said current visa holders’ ability to travel was not affected by that guidance.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is the H-1B visa cap?
USCIS identifies a statutory annual general cap of 65,000 H-1B beneficiaries and an exemption for up to 20,000 qualifying beneficiaries with a U.S. master’s degree or higher. These figures describe specified cap categories, not a hard ceiling on every H-1B petition: USCIS also identifies cap-exempt categories. The figures do not measure how many workers are needed, how many U.S. workers are available, or the effect on wages.
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See USCIS’s H-1B cap overview for the agency’s cap and exemption figures.
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