California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized President Donald Trump as a hypocrite after a report revealed that the Trump Organization has requested a record number of foreign worker visas. The Trump Organization sought H-2A and H-2B visas for at least 184 foreign workers for 2025, marking the highest number of such requests from the company.
These visas are intended for temporary, low-wage positions at Trump properties including Mar-a-Lago, Trump Winery, and two golf clubs. This revelation comes amidst Trump's broader immigration policies and public statements.
The Trump administration has previously implemented restrictions on H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers and imposed a suspension on certain H-1B visa requests. However, President Trump himself has suggested that foreign labor is sometimes necessary in the U.S.
workforce, stating that American workers lack certain skills. The H-2A and H-2B visa programs, which the Trump Organization has utilized, are distinct from the H-1B program and are for temporary agricultural and non-agricultural workers, respectively.
Over the past five years, the Trump Organization has sought to employ 566 foreign laborers through these programs. Since 2008, the company's total requests through H-2A and H-2B programs have reached 2,033.
Newsom's office pointed out the apparent contradiction between Trump's anti-immigration rhetoric and his company's reliance on foreign labor. This situation has also drawn criticism from some within the MAGA base, who view Trump's comments about a lack of American talent and his organization's use of foreign workers as inconsistent with an "America First" platform.
Critics have suggested that Trump is receiving poor advice and is out of touch with the "America First" movement.
