Trump supports Musk in right-wing visa debate – DW – December 29, 2024

US President-elect Donald Trump expressed support for the H-1B special visa program in comments Saturday.

Trump spoke out on the issue after billionaire CEO Elon Musk vowed to go to “war” to defend the skilled foreign worker program, a move that was rejected by some of the new president’s supporters.

During the election campaign, Trump promised to curb illegal immigration and increase deportations.

What did Trump and Musk say about the H-1B program?

Trump said this New York Post that he was “always” for the program.

“I always liked the (H1-B) visas, I was always in favor of the visas,” Trump said, adding that he has used the program to hire workers in his own companies.

He said the visas are “essential for America to continue winning.”

In fact, Trump has criticized H-1B visas in the past, calling them “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers.

There has been a split in his coalition in recent days over a public debate, largely online, over the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers.

Far-right members of Trump’s MAGA movement say Musk and other tech supporters are promoting ideas that run counter to Trump’s “America First” vision.

In a post on the platform

Musk is expected to co-chair a Trump administration cost-cutting panel with Vivek Ramaswamy, who also supports the H1-B program. The tech billionaire also donated over $250 million (€240 million) to Trump’s campaign.

Musk is a South African-born, naturalized U.S. citizen who himself holds an H-1B visa. In 2024, his car company procured Tesla 724 H-1B.

Right-wing extremists criticize “tech oligarchs”

The debate among Trump supporters began after far-right activists criticized Trump’s appointment of Indian-born US citizen Sriram Krishnan as an artificial intelligence adviser.

On Friday, Steve Bannon, a former Trump strategist and co-founder of the far-right news outlet Breitbart News, criticized “big tech oligarchs” for supporting the H-1B program and called Musk a “little child.” He argued that the migrants in the program were essentially “enforcers” who were driving down wages.

Meanwhile, Laura Loomer, a far-right activist who flew on Trump’s plane, called on her supporters to “protect” the president-elect and expressed hope that he would divest from the tech industry.

“I look forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and Big Tech,” she said.

“We must protect President Trump from the technocrats.”

sdi/lo (AP, AFP, Reuters)