President Donald Trump’s endorsement of allowing Chinese nationals to study in U.S. educational institutions has driven a wedge between various factions of the Republican camp.

On Monday, Trump signaled that the United States would permit 600,000 students from China to study at U.S. colleges and universities as part of a broader trade deal he is making with Beijing.

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The announcement sparked immediate reactions from typically staunch supporters who expressed concerns about the education policy, particularly over accusations that it would sabotage the president’s “America First” agenda. Trump has vocalized agreement with some of the concerns, but has been known to eschew the ideological positioning favored by GOP hard-liners in favor of a more pragmatic approach that he believes will provide more benefits to the U.S.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) expressed concern that the policy could allow students who “may be loyal” to the Chinese Communist Communist to infiltrate the U.S. education system and undermine opportunities for American nationals.

“If refusing to allow these Chinese students to attend our schools causes 15% of them to fail, then these schools should fail anyways because they are being propped up by the CCP,” Greene said on Monday.

“Why are we allowing 600,000 students from China to replace our American students’ opportunities?” she added. “We should never allow that. And we need more trade school graduates. Trade schools are a GREAT alternative and produce the essential education and training for the most needed jobs in America with very high starting pay.” 

Complaints from right-wing media personality Laura Loomer, who has painted herself as the Joseph McCarthy of the Trump era, were more aggressive. She asserted that the Chinese students who would be brought to the U.S. under the possible deal are “Chinese Communist spies.” She also alleged that China “murdered 1.2 million Americans” for its role in the COVID-19 pandemic and helped Democrats “steal” the 2020 election by unleashing “a bio weapon on our country.” Loomer suggested that any deal would reward Beijing and undermine Trump’s deportation effort in a series of social media posts espousing anti-immigrant, anti-Chinese rhetoric.

“If we are only mass deporting 1,000 illegals each day but allowing 600,000 Chinese spies to come to our country, how can we call them mass deportations?  Do the math. We will never get rid of the millions who came in under Biden. It’s basic math,” she said in one post.

“China murdered 1.2 million Americans. Now they get to replace us?  This cannot happen,” she continued, questioning in another post, “When did any China man or Muslim Make America Great?”

“I didn’t vote for more Muslims and Chinese people to be imported to my country.  Sorry but these immigrants from communist countries and Sharia shitholes where child rape is legalized don’t make America great. Please don’t Make America China. MAGA doesn’t want more immigrants,” she said. 

Like Greene, Loomer also expressed worry that allowing Chinese nationals to study at U.S. schools would deter U.S. students from pursuing STEM careers, an argument echoed by conservative media personalities such as Fox News host Laura Ingraham.

“I mean, I know President Trump has always been very pro-Chinese student. I just don’t understand it for the life of me,” Ingraham said Monday during her prime-time show. “Those are 600,000 spots that American kids won’t get.”

Proponents of international student programs believe they fill the void of STEM skills caused by a dearth of U.S.-born workers choosing to pursue careers in those fields.

While Trump has voiced concerns that China is “ripping us off” in the past and has backed investigations into whether the CCP is influencing the U.S. educational system, he has also tacitly acknowledged that the skills foreign students and workers bring to the table are critical. This is a break from Loomer and Greene’s rhetoric, which is often viewed as anti-immigrant.

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Trump has backed reforms to visa programs, such as the EB-5 immigrant visa program, that would allow foreign students to stay in the U.S. and contribute to the economy after graduating instead of returning to their home countries. He has also expressed confidence that his gold card proposal will allow individuals and companies such as Apple to purchase visas for foreign students from China and elsewhere, enabling the U.S. to retain top talent to fill STEM shortages.

“I get calls from, as an example, companies where they want to hire the No. 1 student at a school. Person comes from India, China, Japan, lots of different places. And they go to Harvard, the Wharton School of Finance, they go to Yale,” Trump said in February. “And they make job offers, but the offer is immediately rescinded because you have no idea whether or not that person can stay in the country. I want to be able to have that person stay in the country. These companies can go and buy a gold card, and they can use it as a matter of recruitment.”