President Trump has faced outcry from some of his supporters after stating that he plans to allow 600,000 students from China into the U.S. during a meeting with South Korea’s president. Trump stated that it is an important relationship and that the U.S. will get along well with China. This move marked a shift from earlier this year when Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans to “aggressively” revoke visas from Chinese students, particularly those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.
Some members of Trump’s base questioned how it aligned with his “America First” mantra, as they questioned why 600,000 Chinese students should replace American students’ opportunities and demanded more trade school graduates. Laura Loomer, a far-right activist and staunch Trump ally, expressed her displeasure with the move, citing the murder of 1.2 million Americans by China and the COVID-19 virus that originated in China. Michael Flynn Jr., the son of former Trump national security adviser Michael Flynn, posted online that Trump’s comments were not what he voted for.
Fox News host Laura Ingraham raised the issue with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during her show, arguing that without the 600,000 Chinese students, U.S. students would go to better schools with openings created by the lack of foreign students, and the bottom 15% of universities and colleges would go out of business in America. Trump’s comments came as he has touted the relationship he has with Chinese President Xi Jinping during trade negotiations between the U.S. and Beijing.
