Ingraham Presses Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Over Plan To Admit 600,000 Chinese Students

Durham, N.C. — August 26, 2025

By the Bull City Citizen Staff

Fox News host Laura Ingraham pressed U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick about the Trump administration’s plan to allow up to 600,000 students from China to study at American colleges and universities. The exchange aired on The Ingraham Angle and centered on whether the policy aligns with the administration’s stated America First priorities. Coverage and clips of the interview were carried by several outlets, including Daily Caller News Foundation, Mediaite, and Breitbart.

What Lutnick Said

“What would happen if you did not have those 600,000 students is that you would empty them from the top, all the students would go up to better schools, and the bottom 15 percent of universities and colleges would go out of business in America. The President is taking a rational economic view.”

Reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation

Ingraham’s Challenge

Ingraham questioned how admitting a large cohort of students from China serves American interests and raised concerns about seat availability for domestic applicants and the potential financial boost to elite institutions. Summaries of her arguments appear in DCNF and Mediaite.

Where the 600,000 Figure Comes From

Multiple outlets reported that President Trump supports admitting up to 600,000 Chinese students as part of a broader reset in U.S.–China relations and trade talks. See reporting from Fox News, India Today, NDTV, Yahoo News, and AOL.

Trade and Rare Earths Context

The student proposal has been discussed alongside U.S.–China trade negotiations, including talks over tariffs and critical materials like rare earth magnets. In June, Reuters reported a framework in which China would ease supplies of rare earths and magnets while the U.S. would allow Chinese students to study in American institutions. Details and timing remain subject to final approvals. See Reuters: June 11, 2025, Reuters: June 10, 2025, and Reuters: June 27, 2025.

What The Numbers Look Like

Prior to the pandemic, the number of students from China in the United States peaked around 370,000 in 2019 according to higher education trackers. If implemented as described, 600,000 would set a new record. Comparative reporting on historical figures appears in Fox News and roundups from India Today.

Open Questions

• How the cap would be implemented, including field-of-study limits, security vetting, and distribution across institutions.
• Whether seat availability for domestic students would be affected at selective campuses versus broad-access institutions.
• How revenue from international tuition might stabilize financially fragile colleges, a point Lutnick emphasized.

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Why It Matters To North Carolina Readers

North Carolina’s public and private colleges compete nationally for students and research funding. Changes to international enrollment could influence budgets, tuition strategies, and admissions planning across the state. The Bull City Citizen will continue to track how any federal policy shifts could affect local institutions and applicants.

Key Source Links

• Fox News: Trump opens door to 600,000 Chinese students
• Daily Caller News Foundation: Ingraham pushes back on Lutnick
• Mediaite: Segment recap and quotes
• Breitbart: Lutnick quote on 15 percent of schools
• Reuters: Rare earths and students framework — June 11, 2025
• Reuters: Trade talks context — June 10, 2025
• Reuters: Deal status update — June 27, 2025
• India Today: Announcement coverage
• NDTV: Announcement coverage
• Yahoo News: Wire pickup and summary
• AOL: Wire pickup and summary

Bull City Citizen