President Donald Trump has dropped a trade bombshell that’s got everyone from MAGA diehards to policy wonks scratching their heads.
Breitbart reported that on June 11, 2025, Trump unveiled a draft trade agreement with China via TruthSocial, proposing to swap access to rare-earth minerals—vital for high-tech magnets—for opening U.S. job markets and universities to Chinese graduates.
Let’s rewind a bit to late May 2025, when Trump publicly called for slashing foreign student admissions at U.S. colleges by half, citing limited spots for American kids at elite schools like Harvard.
“We have people who want to go to Harvard and other schools [but] they can’t get in because we have foreign students there,” he said. Funny how fast the tune changes when trade deals enter the chat—now it’s all about welcoming Chinese students with open arms.
This draft deal, still pending final approval with China’s President Xi, has Trump’s base seeing red. Supporters, whose votes will matter in future political battles, are livid over what they call a “migrants-for-minerals” scheme that seems to prioritize foreign workers over American talent.
Trump doubled down during a Thursday press conference in 2025, defending the plan by arguing it helps U.S. companies avoid losing top foreign talent.
“I’m all for making sure that people like that can go to work for all of our great companies,” he insisted. Yet, one wonders if Apple’s hiring woes should trump the dreams of American grads struggling to climb the career ladder.
Kevin Lynn, founder of U.S. TechWorkers, didn’t mince words, calling this “NAFTA and WTO for white-collars.” He’s got a point—when did American workers become bargaining chips in a global game of economic chess? It’s a bitter pill for those who cheered Trump’s America First rhetoric.
Here’s the kicker: the negotiations for this deal are being handled by business-friendly appointees in Trump’s administration, with zero representation for U.S. white-collar professionals or recent graduates.
Programs like H-1B and Optional Practical Training have long allowed executives to fast-track foreign grads from countries like China and India into key roles. Meanwhile, American workers face stagnant wages despite soaring costs for homes and groceries.
Critics like Stephen Schutt, an opponent of H-1B visas, are sounding the alarm over the personal toll. “The effects of being displaced are staggering,” Schutt warned. It’s not just about flat paychecks—it’s about losing livelihoods and stability.
Lynn piles on, painting a grim picture for the next generation. “If they give the [Chinese migrants] jobs, what they’re essentially doing is ripping out the bottom rungs of the career ladder for American students,” he argued. That’s a gut punch to any young engineer or computer science major hoping for a fair shot.
Trump’s own words from that Thursday press conference reveal a surprising soft spot for foreign students staying post-graduation. He gushed about their contributions, saying it’s “good for our schools” and even “good for our country.” But at what cost to the hometown talent getting sidelined?
Even some of Trump’s closest allies, like Stephen Miller and Vice President JD Vance, have acknowledged the harm white-collar migration inflicts on American families and communities.
Yet, this deal marches forward, seemingly deaf to those concerns. It’s a head-scratcher for those who thought “America First” meant, well, Americans first.
The frustration echoes in anonymous voices online, with one former business executive lamenting via X, “I’m beyond angry, I’m sad now.” That raw disappointment cuts deep, reflecting a sense of betrayal among those who believed in a different vision for the nation’s future.
As if this weren’t enough, whispers of a similar trade pact with India are already circulating, potentially swapping U.S. grain, fuel, and weapons for more Indian white-collar migrants. India’s recent deal in the U.K. to funnel graduates into their job market sets a worrying precedent. Could American workers face yet another wave of competition?
Lynn isn’t optimistic, warning that such a deal would “encourage more Indians to go into the jobs pipeline here in the U.S.” It’s a domino effect that could further squeeze domestic talent out of opportunity.