President Donald Trump is standing by his decision to approve 600,000 student visas for Chinese nationals, brushing aside criticism from some of his closest allies who argue the move undercuts his America First message.
In an interview with the Daily Caller, Mr. Trump called it “insulting” to deny entry to students from China, insisting the policy would boost U.S. universities, particularly smaller institutions that rely heavily on international tuition revenue.
“I have a very good relationship with President Xi,” Mr. Trump said, referring to China’s leader. “I think it’s very insulting to a country when you say you’re not going to take your students. China’s paying us a lot of money right now.”
The president’s remarks mark a reversal from months of hard-line rhetoric in his administration, which had floated curbing Chinese visas amid heightened trade tensions. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged to “aggressively” revoke visas, particularly for those linked to the Communist Party or working in sensitive scientific fields.
Some of Mr. Trump’s allies on the right expressed open frustration. Fox News host Laura Ingraham said she was baffled: “Those are 600,000 spots that American kids won’t get.” Activist Laura Loomer denounced the decision on X, calling Chinese students “Communist spies.”
Mr. Trump countered that the economic benefits outweighed such concerns, stressing that international students inject billions into the American economy and often return home with ties that strengthen bilateral relations. He emphasized that the decision was not tied to trade negotiations, which remain tense after years of tariffs and retaliatory measures.
The White House later clarified that the visas would be spread over two years, roughly in line with pre-pandemic levels of Chinese enrollment.
Read Also: Bayern Seal Loan-to-Buy Deal For Nicolas Jackson
For Mr. Trump, the decision underscores a familiar balancing act: appealing to his populist base while also promoting pragmatic engagement with Beijing. “It’s good to get along with countries,” he said. “Not bad — especially nuclear-powered countries.”
Whether his supporters will buy that argument remains uncertain. For now, the president is betting that the promise of economic gain and international goodwill outweighs the political risk of angering his own movement.
