MAGA leaders erupted this week over President Donald Trump’s assertion that the United States needs foreign workers because it does not have enough “talented people,” questioning the president’s commitment to the “America First” politics he popularized.
A congressional push to release the government’s files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a years-long cause on the right — moved forward against the wishes of the White House, even as Republicans overwhelmingly dismissed newly released emails Epstein wrote, including some about Trump.
MAGA leaders erupted this week over President Donald Trump’s assertion that the United States needs foreign workers because it does not have enough “talented people,” questioning the president’s commitment to the “America First” politics he popularized.
A congressional push to release the government’s files on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein — a years-long cause on the right — moved forward against the wishes of the White House, even as Republicans overwhelmingly dismissed newly released emails Epstein wrote, including some about Trump.
And Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), a longtime Trump ally, sparred with the president on multiple fronts after suggesting that the White House was too focused on foreign affairs and denouncing recent aid to Argentina.
The dissent showed an impassioned base willing to challenge Trump on some issues while largely supporting his leadership. Trump’s critics voiced skepticism that the rifts will hurt the president’s support in any lasting way. But the rare criticism showed the limits of Trump’s authority over the “America First” agenda he championed as a candidate and raised some GOP concerns about enthusiasm ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Some warned that the rifts could depress turnout among less engaged voters that Trump mobilized, with Republicans already nervous that they will not show up when he is not on the ballot.
“If you show them that you’re not standing up for them on these populist, nationalist issues, I think there’s a real risk for the 2026 midterms,” said Republican strategist Steve Cortes, who has argued that the U.S. admits too many foreign workers and foreign students.
“I don’t know anyone on the right who’s so angry that they’re splitting with Trump, but we’re disappointed,” Cortes said. “And we want to lead him to a better place.”
Trump has responded defiantly to criticism and cast himself as the ultimate arbiter of what his “Make America Great Again” movement wants.
“Don’t forget MAGA was my idea,” he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham this week after she questioned the number of foreign students he is allowing into the country. “MAGA was nobody else’s idea. I know what MAGA wants better than anybody else.”
Later, on social media, he called “the Jeffrey Epstein hoax” a distraction pushed by Democrats and said that only “a very bad, or stupid, Republican would fall into that trap.”
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement that Trump has delivered on many of his promises, from securing the border to “putting American workers first.” Trump has enacted an aggressive tariff regime he says is necessary to bring jobs back to the U.S., and his administration has sought to rein in the H-1B program, which allows U.S. employers to sponsor foreign workers with specialized skills, announcing a $100,000 fee for the visas and investigating alleged “abuse.”
“As the architect of the MAGA movement, President Trump will always put America first,” Jackson said.
But Republicans said the populist wing of the party is flexing its power, looking to lead Trump on certain topics rather than simply follow his cues.
Ingraham’s Monday interview with Trump triggered much of the latest blowback, which has been building throughout the week. She pressed Trump on some Republicans’ desire to reduce H-1B visas.
“If you want to raise wages for American workers, you can’t flood the country with tens of thousands, or hundreds —” she said.
“Well, I agree, but you also do have to bring in talent,” Trump said.
“Well, we have plenty of talented people here,” Ingraham said.
“No you don’t,” Trump said. “No you don’t.” He continued to press his case, adding that it’s difficult to fill some specialized jobs with Americans who lack experience.
The GOP backlash was unusually fierce.
Conservative radio host Erick Erickson remarked on his Wednesday show that this was the “first time” he had seen so many longtime Trump supporters “furious with the president.”
“Saying that we don’t have talent in America doesn’t sound very ‘America First,’” Erickson said. “The splits are coming within MAGA, because the president is a lame duck, and as he says stuff like this, he exacerbates the splits.”
MAGA influencers were direct in their rebukes. Tim Pool, a right-wing YouTuber, wrote sarcastically Wednesday on X: “Dont worry Trump is bringing in more H1Bs to make sure our young people are f—-d.”
Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer known for her loyalty to Trump, said in an interview that the MAGA base “has every right to feel disappointed” over the Trump administration’s approach. “We need to make sure that promises made are promises kept,” she said.
“There’s always been a populist wing,” said Sean Logue, a former county GOP chair in Pennsylvania, a battleground state. “Trump was able to lead it to new heights that were unimaginable before. And MAGA’s never going to abandon Trump.”
“But,” Logue added, “the movement is bigger than Trump now.”
Some Republicans directed their ire at people around Trump — echoing other controversies in which supporters were reluctant to blame the president himself.
Stephen K. Bannon, a former Trump adviser and prominent MAGA commentator, devoted much of his show Wednesday to the H-1B visa issue. But he focused on members of Trump’s Cabinet, playing clips of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reiterating Trump’s points and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem defending the visa program. “What’s driving this is the tech bros and the oligarchs,” Bannon said.
Echoing others, GOP strategist Gregg Keller said the base is still with Trump. “I think this’ll be gone by next week,” he said of the H-1B drama. “One thing we’ve learned about the Trump era is tomorrow always brings a new news cycle.”
Trump also has gotten crosswise with his allies on other matters. He drew some backlash on the right last month for aid to Argentina, which critics called at odds with the “America First” message. The president approved a $20 billion aid package meant to stabilize Argentina’s currency and said the U.S. would buy Argentine beef to bring down prices, worrying many U.S. cattle ranchers and the Republicans who represent them.
Democrats are eager to use the Argentina issue against Republicans and view it as a useful way to undercut Trump’s populist message. But the issue did not cause a major MAGA revolt. Trump officials have pushed back on the idea that the money is a “bailout,” saying the U.S. government made money on its currency swap with an ally.
Epstein has been a more difficult topic for the White House to leave behind. On Wednesday, it flared again as House Oversight Committee Democrats released old emails, including one in which Epstein wrote that Trump knew about the sexual abuse of underage girls but never participated. Trump once socialized with Epstein but has said they had a falling-out in the mid-2000s and denied any knowledge of or participation in Epstein’s crimes.
The White House and most congressional Republicans — including some who helped force a vote on releasing the Epstein files — downplayed the emails and accused Democrats of releasing them to distract from their failure to win key concessions over a government shutdown. Republicans largely came to Trump’s defense this year as media reports zeroed in on the president’s relationship with Epstein and Democrats began talking more about the issue.
“Since the mainstream media put attention to it, the MAGA base is in a much more defensive posture and not looking to pursue some of the legitimate questions around Epstein, much less his relationship with the president,” said GOP strategist Matthew Bartlett.
But a broader debate about the government’s information on Epstein, known as the “Epstein files,” continues. GOP influencers helped elevate questions about the Epstein case and pushed back on the administration this summer after the Justice Department said it found no “incriminating ‘client list,’” despite rampant speculation on the right. Trump himself blasted supporters fixated on Epstein and said he no longer wanted their support.
“He has distanced himself from the MAGA base,” said Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), who co-led a petition that will force a vote next week on releasing the Epstein files. The petition had support from three other Republican House members, including Greene, who this week drew pointed contrasts with Trump on H-1B visas, foreign policy and other issues.
“I am America First and America Only,” Greene wrote on Wednesday on X.
Trump said this week that Greene was “catering to the other side.”
“She’s a nice woman, but I don’t know what happened,” Trump said. “She’s lost her way.”
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