July 28, 2026
Christian conservative combat veteran Jeremy Thompson today stood firmly with Tennessee farmers, supporting their need for temporary agricultural workers while making it clear that he is totally opposed to illegal immigration. Thompson said he supports immigration restrictions and the immediate termination of the H-1B visa program, and called out state Senator Brent Taylor’s ownership of tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of stocks in designated Chinese military companies.
“My position is the same as President Trump’s: our Tennessee farmers need a smarter visa system that helps them grow and sell the food that feeds our state, our nation, and the world,” said Thompson. “At the same time, we must do everything we can to deport every single illegal immigrant present in the United States. I support smart, lawful immigration that benefits Americans, and it’s clear the H-1B visa program is a disaster that must be terminated.”
“The people of Tennessee deserve to know that state Senator Brent Taylor is invested in Chinese military companies, and I wonder if President Trump was made aware of that before he issued an endorsement,” continued Thompson. “Taylor admitted that he owns hundreds of thousands of dollars in individual stocks, including companies like Starbucks, raising questions about how he would handle stock trading if he is elected to Congress. Will he be buying and selling stocks as a Member of Congress, trading on information he is privy too? I will fight to ban Members of Congress from trading individual stocks, and I don’t think we should elect someone to participate in corrupt insider trading alongside Nancy Pelosi.”
On July 24, The Tennessee Lookout reported that “Tennessee Sen. Brent Taylor held Chinese military stocks as part of his investment portfolio”:
Taylor reported owning between $1,000 and $15,000 worth of stock in three companies connected to China, two of which are designated by the Pentagon as “Chinese military companies.” They are Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Prosus N.V. ADR, which holds a large stake in Tencent, according to his federal financial disclosure.
When Thompson raised this issue today with Taylor’s ally, radio show host Michael Patrick Leahy, Leahy got heated. Watch the clip and read the transcript below.
TRANSCRIPT:
MICHAEL PATRICK LEAHY: Republican Tennessee 9th candidate Jeremy Thompson calls for streamlined, quote, multi-year visas for lawful foreign workers. In the first paragraph, Jeremy Thompson, the veteran and Fayetteville business owner who is seeking the Republican Party nomination to represent Tennessee’s newly redrawn 9th congressional district, last Thursday called for Congress to implement an online system for some temporary foreign workers to obtain quote multi-year visas that would streamline the application process using the internet. Did we get that right? Did you say that?
JEREMY THOMPSON: Yes, sir.
LEAHY: Do you still stand with that position?
THOMPSON: Yes, sir. The people who work in agriculture across this state in this country have to have support to work their farms, and they’re looking for a more streamlined way to exercise lawful people working in this country. I think that’s the key, is that it’s a lawful process that is expanded a little bit to make it a little bit more conducive for the farmer.
LEAHY: Temporary foreign workers to obtain multi-year visas. Most people who are America First don’t want to expand any foreign visas. Don’t you think that’s a mistake on your part?
THOMPSON: No, I don’t think so at all. I think when you’re a farmer and you’re trying to run farm and agricultural across the state and across this country, and I’ve talked to many of them, they have actually asked for this explicitly, and they want a more streamlined process. They want more adjudicators, and they want it to be a little bit more supportive of farm and agriculture across the state of Tennessee.
LEAHY: So you’re standing by that position, even though I think many America First people would disagree with it.
THOMPSON: No, I don’t think so. I think America First people want people who are illegal in this country [deported]– Joe Biden’s administration allowed over 10 million people to enter this country unvetted and illegally, and that’s the problem that we have on our hands. And I don’t know that we’re tackling that aggressively enough. And I can appreciate you putting me on the point for this because I’m running for a national office and I need to be accountable to the positions that I take. But I’m a very principled individual, and I appreciate you bringing this to my attention and giving me the opportunity to respond.
LEAHY: I think temporary foreign workers with multi-year visas is a huge security mistake. That’s my view on it.
THOMPSON: No, when you say multi-year, you could be talking about two years. You could be talking about three years. But every nine months to go through a multi-month process that costs the farmer and the worker up to $10,000 and multiple lawyer fees and multiple adjudicator processes is just a messed up system that needs some attention and some reform. That’s all we’re asking for here, and I think that’s what the farmers are asking for, and I think that’s why they brought it up in that particular forum. That was a Farm Bureau forum, and they wanted to know what somebody was going to do to help fix what’s broken.
LEAHY: But some of these temporary foreign workers with multi-year visas are committing crimes, are they not?
THOMPSON: I think we hold crime accountable in this country fairly easily, and then we we have to keep holding crime accountable. But we can’t start differentiating and splitting hairs on illegal immigration and lawful immigration. There are good people who come to this country for a better life and a better opportunity.
LEAHY: So you’re in favor of more immigration, then?
THOMPSON: I am in favor of lawful immigration.
LEAHY: How about H-1B visas?
THOMPSON: I think we should terminate H-1Bs immediately. Yeah, I think we should terminate those immediately. I think those are taking away technological jobs from American workers, and as you call me out, and I appreciate that, as I’ve said, I hope you’ll call out my opponent, Brent Taylor. Two stories recently broke on Politico and one of the Tennessee news networks that he has invested in Chinese military companies. Multiples.
LEAHY: He’s not here. You’re here. I have another–
THOMPSON: Multiple Chinese military companies, and I wonder if Trump would have endorsed him if he knew he was personally invested in Chinese military companies–
LEAHY: Well, let’s get, let’s get to you. No, let’s get to you.
THOMPSON: This is important–
LEAHY: We got three minutes. I want to get to you.
THOMPSON: We got three minutes, and that’s why it’s important. The Tennessee voter–
LEAHY: I want to get to you.
THOMPSON: The Tennessee voter wants to know–
LEAHY: I want to ask you a question.
THOMPSON: The Tennessee voters want to know–
LEAHY: Stop talking and listen to me.
THOMPSON: The Tennessee voters want to know–
LEAHY: Listen to me!
THOMPSON: what they’re voting for.
LEAHY: I want you to answer this question.
THOMPSON: Yes, sir.
LEAHY: We have three minutes left.
THOMPSON: Yes, sir.
LEAHY: Do you favor limitations on immigration in the United States?
THOMPSON: Absolutely. Sure.
LEAHY: But you want temporary foreign workers to be here?
THOMPSON: I think that’s what it’s going to take to keep farms in forward motion. Absolutely.
LEAHY: Okay.
THOMPSON: Lawful immigration.
LEAHY: Tell us about your campaign.
THOMPSON: Well, the campaign’s going well, actually. I think we’re in forward motion. We’ve got a lot of support and momentum across the district, and we’re excited about it. People see a person that is a non-politician, who is a soldier for this country, somebody who loves this country enough to die for it, to step up and protect it.
LEAHY: Okay, Jeremy, thanks for joining us today.
THOMPSON: Yes, sir. Thank you.
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