Three Key Takeaways:
- Donald Trump unveiled a new $5 million “gold card” immigration program, offering wealthy foreigners a faster path to U.S. residency and using the proceeds to reduce national debt.
- The program has sparked outrage among Democrats, who argue it creates a two-tiered system and could lead to corruption, while Trump supporters view it as a smart economic strategy.
- Using executive authority, Trump bypasses Congress to roll out the revamped EB-5 visa program, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick claiming massive demand and promising substantial debt reduction.
Donald Trump continues to reshape American immigration policy in his second term.
Democrats can’t believe what he’s doing now.
And Donald Trump left Democrats outraged after revealing this shocking immigration plan.
Trump unveils “gold card” with his picture on it
President Donald Trump unveiled his administration’s new $5 million “gold card” for wealthy immigrants while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday.
The gold card features Trump’s image prominently displayed, sending Democrats into a frenzy about the implications of the new program.
“For $5 million, this could be yours,” Trump told reporters while showing off the design. “That was the first of the cards. You know what that card is?”
🚨#BREAKING:President Trump displays a GOLD card featuring his image, saying, “Yours for just $5 million!”
When asked who the first buyer was, Trump laughs and replies, “I was!”
— The Patriot Oasis™ (@ThePatriotOasis) April 3, 2025
“It’s the gold card — the Trump card,” the President added.
Trump claimed he was the first person to get one of these gold cards, which he announced would be officially launched “in less than two weeks, probably.”
The unveiling comes after the President first announced plans in February to revamp the backlogged EB-5 visa program by selling premium “green-card privileges-plus” to wealthy foreigners willing to pay the steep price.
Commerce Secretary boasts about massive sales
Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick previously claimed that demand for the gold cards has been overwhelming.
“There’s a line for EB-5 of 250,000 right now. 200,000 of these gold green cards [at $5 million each] is $1 trillion to pay down our debt,” Lutnick explained last month, highlighting how the program could help reduce America’s $36.5 trillion national debt.
Lutnick also shocked Washington, D.C. insiders when he claimed more than 1,000 gold cards had already been sold and that over 37 million people worldwide have the financial means to purchase one.
The new program dramatically transforms the existing EB-5 visa system, which Congress created in the 1990s to give foreign nationals who invested about $1 million in the United States a pathway to obtaining a green card.
According to data from the Invest In the USA trade association, 135,518 EB-5 visas have been issued over the past two and a half decades.
Democrats claim program will lead to corruption
Democrats and good-government watchdogs immediately pounced on Trump’s gold card announcement, claiming the program would lead to corruption and claiming it creates a two-tiered immigration system that favors the wealthy.
The gold card system simplifies the immigration process for rich foreigners and drops preferences for investments in rural or high-unemployment areas that were part of the original EB-5 program.
But Trump’s supporters argue the President is simply using his business experience to capitalize on what other countries are already doing to attract wealthy migrants, while simultaneously generating revenue to pay down the national debt.
The program creates a streamlined path to permanent residency for those who can afford it, giving them flexibility to choose where to work in the United States rather than being tied to specific employers as with certain visas.
The President’s announcement came while he was traveling to Florida to attend the LIV Golf tour at his resort, further fueling Democrat criticism that Trump is mixing business with governance.
Bypassing Congress with executive authority
The gold card program represents the latest effort by President Trump to use executive authority to reshape immigration policy without requiring Congressional approval.
While many Republicans praise the program as innovative thinking that benefits the economy, Democrats see it as another example of Trump circumventing proper governmental processes.
The card features “Trump” prominently displayed, reinforcing the President’s branding strategy that has defined both his business career and political approach.
With the official rollout scheduled in the coming weeks, all eyes will be on how quickly wealthy foreigners snap up these expensive immigration fast-passes and whether the program delivers on its promises to reduce the national debt.
