In her 2016 book “Strangers in Their Own Land,” sociologist Arlie Russell Hochschild explored the motivations and terrors that drove Donald Trump’s support among the American working class.
One of the central narratives for that support, she realized, was a sense that they’d been patiently waiting in line, following the rules and navigating toward the future, only to see others jump in line in front of them. The economy had stumbled and many middle-aged Americans suddenly saw a less-secure future in front of them — but they also saw the government boosting immigrants and people of color, dropping them further up in the line with affirmative action programs or other unidentified processes. They applied this even to President Barack Obama: How’d he get so far, so fast?
This often-misdirected sense of rampant unfairness became a central part of criticism of Joe Biden’s handling of immigration. There were tens of thousands of people who’d come to the U.S. following the complicated, burdensome rules for becoming citizens, only to see countless people slip across the border or claim asylum to fast-track being able to stay in the U.S.
A retired New York social worker made precisely that point to The New York Times during Biden’s administration: “Why are these 500,000 people getting to cut the line?” he asked.
For all of his demagoguery about immigrants, Trump’s private business has long relied on immigrant workers in the U.S. on visas.
That mirrors a California immigrant who spoke with KFF earlier this year. “I supported Democrats until they left the border wide open,” he said. “I worked very hard to get my citizenship and it’s sad to see people cut the line and get more support as illegal immigrants over me as a tax-paying citizen.”
This idea that fairness should be an essential element of government systems and benefits is a powerful one. It is also one that conflicts dramatically with President Trump’s latest immigration gimmick.
On Wednesday, the government unveiled TrumpCard.gov, depicted as a literal gold-colored card with images of a bald eagle, the Statue of Liberty and Trump himself emblazoned upon it. For the low, low price of $1 million — plus a $15,000 processing fee — immigrants to the U.S. could purchase one of the cards and receive what Trump described during a White House event as “a much better form of a green card,” which is the existing document that indicates permanent legal residency in the country.
Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick insisted that those immigrants would still be vetted by the government, but that it offered a useful means for fast-tracking legal status.
Trump figured the Trump Gold Card would bring in “many billions of dollars” that he says “will go to the Treasury of the United States.” Setting aside the idea that this money would go into some special account that Trump might intend to exist outside of congressional control (which violates the Constitution), you might be curious where these many billions would come from. During that event on Wednesday, Trump explained a key source: corporations.
For $2 million, businesses can buy legal status for their employees. Even better (at least in their eyes), they can transfer that gold card from one person to another — if, for example, the first person went through the five-year process to become a citizen. The corporation would only need to pay an annual fee on the card itself and any further vetting fees and, in so doing, wouldn’t have to worry about having its employees return to their home countries.
“The companies are going to be very happy,” he said. “I know Apple’s going to be happy.”
The EB-5 “immigrant investor” process has existed since 1990, providing investors (and their spouses and children) legal residency if they invest in American companies and create or preserve at least 10 jobs for American workers. This makes sense, coming from Trump. For all of his demagoguery about immigrants, Trump’s private business has long relied on immigrant workers in the U.S. on visas. In fact, Forbes reported last month that Trump companies had requested visas for more than 180 workers. Cutting the line in order to boost a company’s bottom line raises no hackles for the president at all. It’s important to note that the country has long had a process by which people of means could obtain a visa. The EB-5 “immigrant investor” process has existed since 1990, providing investors (and their spouses and children) legal residency if they invest in American companies and create or preserve at least 10 jobs for American workers. You can see how that differs from Trump’s “gold card.” First, the benefit is directed at job growth, rather than protecting immigrant workers for U.S. companies. Second, the investment goes into the private sector, not into a Trump-branded bucket. Perhaps the most important distinction, though, is that the EB-5 process was behind-the-scenes, not presented as an Atlantic-City-style perks program. There was some line-cutting at play, but for a tangible benefit to American workers. The Trump Gold Card, as the president would apparently prefer it be known, is more comparable to those shortcuts at amusement parks that let people pay more to jump straight to the ride. (Grab a shiny gold lanyard and wave at the people waiting for Space Mountain as you stroll past!) There remain various legal issues to adjudicate, including whether the executive branch can shortcut the qualifications for EB-1 and EB-2 visas (which is what TrumpCard.gov indicates donors will receive). But the politics here are straightforward. Trump knows there’s a line, but he’s happy to let people skip it in exchange for a seven-figure contribution. Maybe a good way to jack up revenue at Walt Disney World, but not a great way to convince working-class Americans that you are their champion.
Philip Bump is a data journalist and MS NOW contributor. 
