Palm Beach, Florida - President-elect Donald Trump has been urging US businesses to "hire American workers," but it turns out his own companies haven't been following that mantra.

On Monday, CNN published a report claiming that recent government labor data revealed that Trump's businesses "sought to hire more foreign guest workers this year than any other year on record."

Earlier this year, his businesses – including his golf courses and a winery in Virginia – received approval from the US government to hire 209 foreign workers, doubling the amount they were previously allowed.

Most of the guest workers are there as part of an H-2B visa program, which allows employers to hire such workers when there are not enough American employees available to fill particular jobs, which tend to include cooking, cleaning, serving, and desk work.

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The report comes as Trump spent the 2024 presidential race vowing to implement the largest deportation effort in US history, spreading misinformation about immigrants, and repeatedly urging US companies to produce goods and hire workers within the country.

A few of Trump's top surrogates and administration picks who are fellow business owners have also been approved for and taken advantage of similar programs, including billionaire Elon Musk, whose company Tesla was granted permission to hire close to 2,000 guest workers.