1 hour ago
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent defended President Trump's visa strategy as key to reviving US manufacturing, saying it will rebuild skills in industries like shipbuilding and semiconductors after decades of outsourcing.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. (File Photo)
New Delhi,UPDATED: Nov 13, 2025 04:34 IST
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said President Donald Trump’s new H-1B visa policy is designed to temporarily bring in skilled foreign experts to train American workers — not replace them.
Speaking to Fox News host Brian Kilmeade, Bessent described the plan as a “knowledge transfer” strategy designed to rebuild US manufacturing, shipbuilding, and semiconductor production after decades of outsourcing.
“Train the US workers. Then go home. Then the US workers fully take over,” Bessent said, summing up the administration’s vision for the new visa system.
When asked about concerns that foreign workers could displace Americans, Bessent pushed back firmly. “An American can’t have that job — not yet,” he said. “We haven’t built ships or semiconductors here for years. Overseas partners coming in, teaching American workers — that’s a home run.”
BREAKING: Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent says President Trump's plan for visas is to TEMPORARILY bring in expert overseas workers to train Americans, they they go BACK home.
"Train the US workers. Then, go home. Then, the US workers fully take over."
KILMEADE: You understand pic.twitter.com/vDbabSVxDW— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) November 12, 2025
Bessent said Trump’s goal is to use temporary visa programmes like H-1B to import expertise for a limited period, ensuring US workers can acquire skills before foreign professionals return home. The plan, he explained, reflects Trump’s broader push to repatriate critical industries and reduce reliance on imports.
The comments come as Trump’s own remarks on foreign labor have divided parts of his MAGA base. In a separate Fox interview, the president said the US “doesn’t have certain talents,” arguing that foreign experts are needed to train Americans in technical fields. “You can’t take people off the unemployment line and say, ‘We’re going to make missiles,’” Trump said.
Bessent also touched on the administration’s economic agenda, confirming discussions on a possible $2,000 tariff rebate for families earning under $100,000. “The president’s talking about a $2,000 rebate,” he said. “It’s part of ensuring families feel the benefits of strong trade policy.”
Calling 2026 a potential blockbuster year for the US economy, Bessent said the administration’s vision of Parallel Prosperity, where Wall Street and Main Street grow together, depends on keeping the Treasury market deep, liquid, and stable.
- Ends
Published By:
Aashish Vashistha
Published On:
Nov 13, 2025
