Facing Maga anger, Trump defends move to admit thousands of Chinese students

US President Donald Trump has defended his proposal to admit 600,000 Chinese students, saying the US is “honoured” to host them. He warned on August 26, 2025, that the American college system would “go to hell” without them. Facing growing anger from his political base, Trump dismissed criticism of the plan as “insulting” and pointed to his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping as part of a broader strategy of engagement.