Majorie Taylor Greene, US Congresswoman, stirred controversy by reacting to President Trump’s social media post. In the post, he threatened to raise tariffs on Indian goods and services. The far-right Republican lawmaker made a bold appeal to Trump, suggesting he stop issuing H-1B visas to Indian nationals, who she claims are ‘replacing American jobs’.
The H-1B visa program allows US employers to hire foreign workers in specialized fields for a limited period. Over the years, Indian professionals have consistently accounted for the majority of these visas around 72% with Chinese nationals a distant second at 12%.
According to a 2023 BBC report, most H-1B visa holders work in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, particularly in computer-related jobs. These skilled workers, many of whom support sectors like Silicon Valley’s tech industry, earned a median annual salary of $118,000, nearly twice the US national average.
In her post on X (formerly Twitter), Greene criticized Trump’s approach to India tariffs and urged a redirection of focus. She also called for an end to US aid to Ukraine, linking both issues under the banner of her broader criticism that the Republican Party ‘has turned its back on ‘America First’ and the workers, and just regular Americans’.
Greene also repeated her claim that the Russia-Ukraine war was provoked by Democratic leaders Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and attributed it to ‘Neocon’, or neo-conservatism, an ideology that, in her view, prioritizes global democracy promotion over American interests.
Her post included a screenshot of Trump’s statement on Truth Social, where he wrote he would “substantially raise” tariffs on India due to its ‘massive’ purchases of Russian oil. The move follows Trump’s decision last week to impose a 25 percent reciprocal tariff on Indian imports, alongside an additional, unspecified penalty related to India’s energy ties with Russia.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs pushed back against Trump’s remarks. In a statement, the ministry said that both the US and EU continue to trade with Russia, and highlighted that after the Russia-Ukraine conflict disrupted supply chains, “the United States at that time actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy markets stability.”
It concluded: “the targeting of India is unjustified and unreasonable. Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.”
The H-1B visa program remains a polarizing issue within Trump’s inner circle. While Elon Musk has voiced support for H-1B visas, albeit with calls for reform, former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has gone so far as to call for scrapping both H-1B and student visas altogether.
