US vice president JD Vance was criticised after linking American identity to Christianity while advocating restrictions on the H-1B visa program.
The MAGA leader was speaking at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest, where he discussed “true Christian politics."
Vance claimed that restricting high-skilled immigration was both a moral and economic move. Vance said: “Why have we worked, without the help of Congress, to restrict H-1B visas?” He then answered his own question: “Because we believe it is wrong for companies to bypass American labour just to go for cheaper options in the third world.”
He reiterated: “The only thing that is truly served as an anchor of the United States of America is that we have been, and by the grace of God, we always will be, a Christian nation.”
The speech was grilled by right-wing analyst Richard Hanania, who called Vance’s comments "incoherent" on social media.
He listed Vance's priorities: 1) fighting outsourcing, 2) restricting H-1Bs, 3) shielding Social Security from taxes, 4) protecting Medicaid from Somalis
Richard claimed that all these priorities lacked a unifying principle. Hanania said: “Christianity is just nativist economic illiteracy, giveaways to old people, and whatever right-wing Twitter cares about today.”
Vance’s comments come amid ongoing debate over the future of the H-1B program. Hardliners like Republican Steve Bannon and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have called for its complete elimination, and Vance suggested a reform rather than abolition of the visa program.
He pointed to recent Trump administration measures, including higher fees and enhanced vetting for H-1B applicants, particularly affecting Indian workers, as steps to prevent abuse and ensure fairness.
The debate is relevant given that over 730,000 H-1B visa holders work in technology and engineering roles in the United States, while younger Americans face student debt and layoffs in the tech sector.
Ex-DOGE lead Vivek Ramaswamy also spoke in the same event and pointed out how attracting global talent is necessary to US.
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