Trump’s H-1B “Softening” a Misread, Says Bessent

The widespread interpretation of Donald Trump’s recent comments as a “softening” on H-1B visas was a misread, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Trump’s statement that the US needs to “bring talent into the country” was not an endorsement of more immigration, but of a new temporary training program.
Bessent clarified that the new policy is about “knowledge transfer.” The model is “Come to US, train American workers, go home.” This is a hardline, “America First” policy, not a soft one.
Under this plan, skilled foreigners would be brought in for a limited time, “three, five, seven years,” to “train the US workers.” Bessent was explicit that their stay is temporary: “Then they can go home,” and Americans “will fully take over.”
Why is this needed? Bessent pointed to a skills gap. “An American can’t have that job, not yet,” he said. In industries like semiconductors and shipbuilding, the US “haven’t built” them in years, so the expertise is gone.
This “train and return” model is being presented as a “home run.” It uses “overseas partners” as temporary instructors to upskill the domestic workforce, ensuring Americans are the ones who ultimately hold the jobs.