MAGA’s other immigration battle

Today, Explained

Vox

Daily News, Politics, News

4.4 • 9.5K Ratings

🗓️ 25 November 2025

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The debate over high-skill work visas is revealing cracks between President Trump and his base. This episode was produced by Peter Balonon-Rosen and Miles Bryan, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Laura Bullard and Hady Mawajdeh, engineered by Patrick Boyd and Adriene Lilly, and hosted by Astead Herndon. President Trump at the Resolute desk after signing an executive order establishing the "Trump Gold Card" and introducing a $100,000 fee for H-1B visas. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right now. Transcript at ⁠vox.com/today-explained-podcast.⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	So President Trump has been pretty consistent about his feelings regarding illegal immigration
0:05.3	to the U.S.
0:06.1	All illegal entry will immediately be halted and we will begin the process of returning
0:13.1	millions and millions of criminal aliens back to the places from which they came.
0:18.6	But when it comes to legal pathways to immigration, Trump's feelings are harder to gauge.
0:23.6	The president has gone back and forth on H-1B visas, the ones for high-skilled workers in industries
0:29.6	like tech and medicine.
0:31.6	He has said that he has himself used these visas to hire people.
0:34.6	And he recently pushed back against Laura Ingram of Fox News, a mogulist. To defend these visas to hire people. And he recently pushed back against Laura Ingram of Fox News,
0:38.5	a MAGA loyalist, to defend these visas from right-wing attacks.
0:42.3	You also do have to bring in talent when a country-
0:46.3	We have plenty of talented people here.
0:47.3	No, you don't.
0:48.3	No, you don't.
0:49.3	So why is President Trump supporting a program that his MAGA-based doesn't like?
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	...

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