By WILL WEISSERT<\/p>\n
WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 President Donald Trump<\/a> has made hardline immigration policies a signature issue, but acknowledged on Wednesday that he\u2019s been criticized for recently saying some skilled immigrants should be allowed into the country from his \u201cMake America Great Again\u201d supporters.<\/p>\n Trump told an audience of business executives that the U.S. needs immigrants who can train domestic workers in high-tech factories \u2014 and insisted that doing so is not inconsistent with his core political beliefs.<\/p>\n \u201cI love my conservative friends. I love MAGA. But this is MAGA,\u201d Trump said during an address to the U.S.-Saudi Investment Forum, which he attended with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman<\/a>. \u201cThose people are going to teach our people how to make computer chips, and in a short period of time, our people are going to be doing great. And those people can go home.\u201d<\/p>\n The comments drew applause in the room. But last week, Trump sparred with Fox News host Laura Ingraham<\/a> over the same issue. Ingraham suggested during an interview with Trump that \u201cyou can\u2019t flood the country with tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands, of foreign workers,\u201d only to have the president respond, \u201cYou also do have to bring in talent.\u201d<\/p>\n When Ingraham said that the U.S. had \u201cplenty of talented people here,\u201d Trump said, \u201cNo, you don\u2019t,\u201d and added that \u201cpeople have to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n The exchange drew swift and sharp online criticism from some corners of the MAGA movement, who have opposed expanding H-1B visas<\/a>, and other programs designed to let skilled immigrants into the country.<\/p>\n That didn\u2019t stop Trump from doubling down on Wednesday, adding that his detractors are \u201creally, really smart\u201d despite their opposition to skilled immigration. \u201cThey\u2019re unbelievable patriots,\u201d Trump said. \u201cBut they just don\u2019t understand our people need to be taught.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump said that when it comes to \u201cextremely complex\u201d domestic plants making things like computers, cell phones and missiles, it wasn\u2019t possible to \u201cthink you can hire people off an unemployment line to run it.\u201d<\/p>\n Foreign owners building the plants in the U.S. are \u201cgoing to have to bring thousands of people with them, and I\u2019m going to welcome those people,\u201d Trump said.<\/p>\n