Trump’s Endorsement of H-1B Visas Ignites a Fiery Clash Between Silicon Valley Titans Advocating for Skilled Immigration and MAGA Hardliners Defending the ‘America First’ Agenda
Tech Titans vs. MAGA Hardliners
Tesla CEO Elon Musk has found himself at odds with some of President-elect Donald Trump’s most loyal supporters over H-1B visas, which allow U.S. companies to hire skilled foreign workers. While Trump has openly praised the program, his stance has sparked a civil war within his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement.
In a December 28 interview with the New York Post, Trump endorsed the controversial visa program, saying,
“I’ve always liked the visas. I have always been in favour of the visas. That’s why we have them.”
The H-1B program caps visas at 85,000 annually, primarily benefiting tech firms that hire workers from countries like India and China. Trump’s backing of the visas aligns him with Musk, who has argued they attract “the top 0.1% of engineering talent.”
A MAGA Rebellion
Trump’s endorsement triggered fierce backlash from hardline MAGA figures, including conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer. Loomer lambasted Trump’s decision, accusing it of undermining his “America First” agenda. She took particular issue with the appointment of Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-American venture capitalist and Musk ally, as a senior policy adviser on artificial intelligence.
On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Loomer claimed Krishnan sought to “remove all restrictions on green card caps” to benefit foreign workers at the expense of Americans.
Musk fired back with his trademark candor, writing,
“I will go to war on this issue,”
before unleashing a profanity-laden tirade against his critics.
The Great Divide: Bannon vs. Musk
The feud escalated when Steve Bannon, a former Trump strategist, weighed in. Speaking on his War Room podcast, Bannon called the H-1B program a “total scam” and vowed to eliminate it.
“We want them deported – out,” Bannon said.
Tech entrepreneur and Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy defended the program, arguing that foreign workers elevate U.S. innovation.
“A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math Olympiad champ will not produce the best engineers,” he wrote on X.
Big Tech Flexes Its Influence
Behind the scenes, Silicon Valley is rallying around Musk. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate has become a hub for tech leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook, who reportedly support H-1B visas.
Political analysts say this divide reflects two competing ideologies within MAGA: a class-based approach that values skilled immigration versus a nativist stance championed by figures like Loomer and Bannon.
High Stakes for Trump
Trump’s apparent shift on H-1B visas is notable, given his past promises to abolish the program during the 2016 campaign. Experts warn that this newfound stance could alienate parts of his base, potentially jeopardizing support in future elections.
“This debate is just the opening salvo in a broader war of influence,”
said Thomas Gift, director of the Centre on U.S. Politics at University College London.
As Trump prepares for his January 20 inauguration, all eyes are on how he navigates the growing rift within his base. With midterms just two years away, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
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