Trump Sides with Musk in Right-Wing Row Over Worker Visas

AFP/APP

Washington: President-elect Donald Trump expressed his support for the H1-B visa program amid a heated debate dividing his conservative base and Silicon Valley leaders like Elon Musk.

“I’ve always liked the (H1-B) visas; that’s why we have them,” Trump told the New York Post, marking his first public statement on the matter since tensions flared this week. The H1-B program allows highly skilled workers to enter the US, a policy championed by tech entrepreneurs like Musk, who himself arrived in the US on such a visa.

Musk, along with Vivek Ramaswamy—set to co-chair a government cost-cutting panel—argues that America lacks sufficient elite engineering talent and must attract global expertise to maintain its competitive edge. Musk emphasized on his X platform that hiring top foreign talent is “essential for America to keep winning.”

Ramaswamy further stirred controversy by criticizing a culture of mediocrity in the U.S., warning of a potential loss to global competitors like China. This prompted backlash from Trump’s staunchest supporters, who advocate prioritizing American workers and curbing both legal and illegal immigration.

Far-right figure Laura Loomer, a vocal Trump ally, decried Musk’s influence, stating, “We have to protect President Trump from the technocrats.” Trump’s broader support for H1-B visas has sparked fears among some original backers that he may be swayed by tech donors like Musk, potentially straying from his campaign promises.

The conflict escalated when Musk warned of a “MAGA civil war” over the visa issue, even vowing to “go to war.” Trump strategist Steve Bannon criticized Musk as a “toddler,” calling the H1-B program a tool for creating “indentured servants” paid less than American citizens.

This intraparty divide highlights the challenges Trump may face in balancing immigration reform with the demands of his base and influential donors as he prepares to assume office in January.