Overview

• Steve Bannon accused Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick of giving "patently false" details about the H-1B fee in public remarks.
• Press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified the policy is a single upfront $100,000 fee for new applicants, not an annual charge.
• Bannon said Lutnick either misunderstood the policy or lied, citing statements about annual costs and renewals that he called incorrect.
• Coverage reports confusion and concern across sectors reliant on high-skilled foreign workers, with tech firms described as scrambling to assess the impact.
• The episode has intensified scrutiny of the administration’s internal communications and the rollout of the H-1B fee change.