'Absolutely unreal': Conservatives rebel against Trump over smear on American workers

A comment made by Donald Trump about American workers during an interview with Laura Ingraham of Fox News has set off a rebellion among conservatives who worry he may have crippled their hopes for the 2026 midterm election while questioning what the president could have been thinking.

When asked about H-1B visas that allow foreigners to work in the U.S. in high-demand jobs, the president trashed American workers, telling the Fox personality they are needed because, “Well, I agree, but you also do have to bring in talent.”

Pressed about his answer with, “We don’t have talented people here?” Trump bluntly stated, “No.”

When the interview clip was posted to X, some of the president’s supporters hit the roof.

Republican Florida County Commissioner Anthony Sabatini wondered about Trump’s state of mind, and then worried that his handlers are to blame.

“This is insane—we are going to lose the mid-terms so badly. We’ve never seen an administration crash & burn in its first year so badly—for no reason other than to appease donors & special interests Trump has surrounded himself with the worst people,” he wrote on X.

Conservative author and Charlie Kirk enthusiast Kevin Bass went even further by accusing, “Trump hates America and Americans. This is the only explanation I can come up with for this pattern of behavior. He wants to import the third world to take Americans’ jobs,” before adding, “He hasn’t even gotten through his first year, and he’s spiraling. Unbelievable.”

“This has been a rough week for President Trump. Here he is defending H1B visas by saying we need them because not all Americans can make missiles. UNPOPULAR TAKE: Why would we want foreigners making OUR missiles?” former Newsmax producer Breanna Morello asked.

Conservative podcaster Matt Morse claimed, "I am one of the largest pro-Trump commentators in the nation. I get tens of millions of views every single month talking about Trump's America First agenda. And right now, I'm absolutely fucking beyond PISSED OFF that tonight, as a justification for H-1B visas, Trump said that Americans don't 'have talent.' Absolutely unreal."

Logan Hall, a writer for The Blaze, a far-right website, was furious.

Linking to the clip, he raged, “I’m sorry but what the f--- is this? American talent split the atom and went to the moon. American talent built everything the modern world takes for granted now. Give me a break. This is insanity.”

Moments later he added, “This is so inexcusable. Where is all this foreign ‘talent’ we keep hearing so much about? Where are all the doctors and engineers and astronauts we were promised? Oh yeah, sorry Americans but the crappy foreign 7/11 owners are better and more talented than you for some reason.”