Trump’s new H-1B plan: train Americans, leave
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Trump’s visa plan will revive U.S. manufacturing by rebuilding shipbuilding and semiconductor skills lost overseas.
Washington: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has come out strongly in defense of President Donald Trump’s new H-1B visa policy, describing it as a cornerstone of the administration’s plan to rebuild America’s industrial and technological base after decades of decline. Speaking to Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, Bessent said the revamped program is not about replacing American jobs, but about temporarily bringing in foreign expertise to train U.S. workers — a move he says will “restore the backbone of American manufacturing.”
“The goal is simple: train U.S. workers, then go home,” Bessent said, summarizing the administration’s vision in one clear sentence. “Then the U.S. workers fully take over.”
Under the new approach, the H-1B visa — which for years has been a flashpoint in debates over outsourcing and immigration — would be used as a short-term tool to fill skill gaps in advanced industries such as shipbuilding, semiconductor fabrication, and precision manufacturing. These are areas where the United States once led the world but lost ground due to offshoring and decades of policy neglect.
“An American can’t have that job — not yet,” Bessent explained, responding to critics who claim the policy could open the door to foreign job competition.
The Treasury Secretary emphasized that the policy is part of Trump’s broader “America Rebuilt” initiative — a long-term push to bring back critical industries, reduce dependency on imports, and ensure that the U.S. economy is not vulnerable to global supply disruptions. Bessent argued that such knowledge transfer programs are vital for the nation’s economic revival, particularly as the administration moves to expand shipyards, semiconductor plants, and industrial research hubs across key states.
President Trump, who has often been critical of foreign labor, struck a more nuanced tone this time. In a separate Fox interview, he said the U.S. simply “doesn’t have certain talents” in high-tech sectors right now and that foreign experts will help bridge the gap until Americans are ready to take over. “We need to train our people first — and that’s what we’re doing.”
The comments have stirred debate within Trump’s own MAGA base, where skepticism toward foreign labor runs deep. Yet, Bessent sought to reassure supporters that the administration’s plan remains firmly centered on American workers. “This is not about replacing Americans. It’s about empowering them,” he said. “These temporary experts will leave behind something far more valuable than just projects — they’ll leave behind knowledge.”
Bessent also linked the policy to Trump’s broader economic philosophy, which he called Parallel Prosperity — the idea that Wall Street’s financial strength and Main Street’s industrial growth must advance together. He predicted that 2026 could be a “blockbuster year” for the U.S. economy if the administration’s strategy succeeds in rebuilding domestic capacity while keeping the Treasury market “deep, liquid, and stable.”
“This is about national strength,” Bessent concluded. “We’re bringing back skills, factories, and pride. America is learning to build again.”