US Suspends Visa Program for Tech Firms Including Microsoft
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Author: Bloomberg Television · Watch on YouTube
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Original language: English
Original video: US Suspends Visa Program for Tech Firms Including Microsoft · Channel: Bloomberg Television · 04:45 · Watch on YouTube
Topics: AI governance and regulation
Summary
Section titled “Summary”The discussion examines the political and strategic implications of President Trump saying the United States would not attack Iran before the November midterms. A guest says the war remains unpopular, with high fuel prices and ongoing risks to shipping and military personnel keeping its effects in voters’ minds. The conversation then turns to the suspension or restriction of H-1B visas for tech firms, including Microsoft, alongside Trump’s efforts to keep technology companies aligned with his AI policy. The guest suggests the visa restrictions may appeal to Trump’s base, while questioning whether enough qualified Americans can fill the affected jobs.
Key points
Section titled “Key points”- The guest describes publicly linking military action to election timing as unusual, even though presidents consider political consequences.
- The guest cites polling indicating 26% of American adults support the war, while 74% do not.
- High gas and diesel prices are described as contributing to opposition to the war and to Trump and the Republican Party.
- Iran is still striking tankers in the Gulf, and a naval blockade remains in place, leaving risks to commercial crews and US military personnel.
- The United States has suspended or limited the H-1B visa program for tech firms, including Microsoft.
- Trump is meeting with tech executives while advocating that AI firms regulate themselves.
- The guest says Trump’s comments about calling AI “superior intelligence” suggest he wants a unified voice on AI regulation.
- The guest suggests visa restrictions may help satisfy Trump’s base on immigration while he maintains ties with tech companies.
- The discussion raises whether enough qualified Americans are available to fill jobs otherwise held by foreign skilled workers.
Chapters
Section titled “Chapters”| Start | Chapter | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | Trump’s Iran comments and election timing | The hosts discuss Trump’s statement that the US would not attack Iran before the November midterms and whether making that connection publicly is unusual. |
| 01:02 | War’s political and practical effects | The guest discusses the war’s unpopularity, the impact of fuel prices, and the continuing risks to shipping and US personnel. |
| 02:40 | Tech firms, AI policy, and visa restrictions | The conversation explores the visa restrictions affecting tech firms and Trump’s desire for AI companies to regulate themselves. |
| 04:12 | Skilled-worker visas and the domestic workforce | The hosts question the impact of restricting visas for highly skilled workers, and the guest says it remains to be seen whether enough qualified Americans can fill those jobs. |
Quotes
Section titled “Quotes”presidents don’t normally outwardly say indicate that there’s a political decision behind their military actions. — 00:32
26% of American adults are in favor of this war — 01:36
Iran is still striking tankers in the Gulf and we still have a naval blockade. — 02:08
he still wants them to regulate themselves. — 03:10
we’ll just have to see if there are enough qualified Americans to fill these jobs — 04:45
Concepts and entities
Section titled “Concepts and entities”H-1B visa program, AI, Microsoft, Donald Trump
Full transcript (original language)
Section titled “Full transcript (original language)”00:00 I don’t know how you guys keep track of it. I feel like it’s between Washington and AI, it’s just like crazy crazy, Wendy. Um what do we need to Right? Right? Um what do we need to know? I feel like the first of all, the Iran um it was a red head highlight here at Bloomberg. President uh Trump saying that they would not [clears throat] attack Iran ahead of the November elections. That makes sense, right? I mean, the midterms. >> Well >> Or does it? >> Sure. It I guess it makes sense, but it depends on from what
00:32 It depends on from what perspective you’re looking at it. Is it politically wise not to put the war that is extremely unpopular right back in voters’ faces? Yes. Is it strategically wise from a military standpoint to advertise that? That would be for experts to to question. Also, presidents don’t normally outwardly say indicate that there’s a political decision behind their military actions.
01:02 There is I’m sure every president since George Washington has thought about the political implications, but saying it out loud and projecting it to the enemy is sort of an unusual step. >> So, you missed my sarcasm. That makes sense. >> [laughter] >> No, I’m only kidding. I’m only kidding. All right, go ahead, Stacy. >> Yeah, I’m wondering like what you think of of politicizing something like this. Like, what is your what is your take on it? You said it’s it’s something that you haven’t really seen before. >> Right. I mean, it’s it’s an unusual um it’s an unusual thing to do, but Trump is The war is incredibly unpopular right
01:36 now. I think the latest polling I saw today is that 26% of American adults are in favor of this war, meaning 70 Don’t make me do math. 74% are not in favor of the war. Um but it’s not like they’re not feeling the effects of it before the midterms anyway, because it’s gas prices that are that are driving this antipathy toward the war and to Trump and the Republican Party right now. So, as long as gas prices and diesel prices remain
02:08 extremely high as they are, voters aren’t going to forget that we’re at war with Iran even if even if Trump says they’re not going to bomb them. The other thing is that Iran is still striking tankers in the Gulf and we still have a naval blockade. So, the possibility of harm coming to commercial ship crew and to American military personnel is still there whether or not we’re launching the US is launching strikes or not. >> Right, that’s a good point. Um, it’s kind of just been I feel like
02:40 though Wendy a little bit of a mixed bag. We have the US suspending the visa program for tech firms including Microsoft. Stacy and I were talking about it. At the same time, he’s been meeting with tech executives including the Microsoft CEO, these awards and >> Do you think the medals? >> Giving the medals? Like why is this happening? >> Uh, well >> [laughter] >> It’s sort of it’s a little hard to get into the crystal ball, but I do think that, you know, Trump right now really needs the well, he needs the tech
03:10 firms to be on his side as he goes through this, you know, this idea that AI will be self-regulated by by the tech firms. That’s his policy position and despite the AI firms coming out and saying, you know, it might kill us all. Um, he still wants them to regulate themselves. He had a he had a social media post earlier saying that anyone that doesn’t use his term for AI, which he has dubbed superior intelligence, is considered the enemy.
03:42 Um, I’m not really sure what that means. Um, but it certainly suggests that he wants a unified voice, his voice, on on AI regulation. Yet at the same time, um his base still wants him to be very tough on immigration. And so, canceling this H-1B visa program or limiting it, as he did today, um will will answer scratch that itch while he’s trying to keep the tech companies close for other reasons.
04:12 >> I mean, it is interesting. He’s He’s also cracking down on on Harvard over their student visas. That seems to make more sense because he’s uh gone after Harvard quite a few times, and I imagine that’s quite a popular move with his base. But why go after uh these tech visas, H-1B visas, and others for highly skilled workers so hard? I mean, these workers are really crucial for the growth of AI and for these companies. This can’t be a popular move. >> It It probably isn’t a popular move, and I’m sure that the students that um you know, who are at Harvard that whose visas he’s
04:45 um he’s canceling are not also English majors. They’re probably in tech or um you know, highly skilled medicine or science, you know, uh fields as well. But it’s it’s he’s really cracking down, and he seems to believe that Americans will fill these jobs, and we’ll just have to see if there are enough qualified Americans to fill these jobs without the foreign students coming over and then staying, as many of them do.