Elon Musk, selected by President-elect Donald Trump to head the Department of Government Efficiency, has recently emerged as a vocal advocate for the H-1B visa program, a legal immigration policy. However, his stance has sparked criticism from those who argue that it contradicts Trump’s 2024 campaign platform by exploiting foreign labor to the detriment of American workers.
Musk’s comments have provoked backlash, with critics accusing the program of undermining the interests of American citizens. On Friday night, Musk responded to critics of the H-1B program, which grants visas to highly skilled immigrants crucial to the Big Tech industry’s success.
“The reason I’m in America,” Musk posted on X, “along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back…. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.”
Scott Adams, the right-leaning creator of the “Dilbert” cartoon, joined the conversation, suggesting, “MAGA is taking a page from Democrats on how to lose elections while feeling good about themselves.”
Musk echoed Adams’ sentiment, replying, “[T]hose contemptible fools must be removed from the Republican Party, root and stem.”
On the opposite side of the debate, critics from the America First camp argue that the H-1B visa program harms America’s middle class. Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec posted a video on X Saturday explaining his position on the issue.
Trump’s chosen policy adviser for artificial intelligence, Sriram Krishnan, argued that there should not “‘be a cap on H-1B,’” according to Posobiec’s post. “And that’s what really pushed a lot of the MAGA base into high overdrive — to say, ‘Wait a minute. President Trump campaigned in 2016 on ending the H-1B immigration system because number one, it’s not high-skilled immigration. That’s a lie. And number two, it’s not immigration at all. It’s this weird indentured servitude kind of system.’”
Posobiec added that the controversy surrounding the H-1B program stems from the fact that the tech industry depends on it for inexpensive labor. He also pointed out, in contrast to Musk’s argument, that there is already an O-1 visa program designed to prioritize immigrants who have demonstrated “extraordinary” achievements in their field.
As the debate over H-1B intensified this week, rumors began circulating on X that accounts criticizing Musk’s position might be shadow banned. Breitbart News reported on Friday that the social media platform, previously known as Twitter, had implemented an algorithm change. Conservative users have expressed concerns about losing their blue verification check marks and subscribers following this change, which coincided with the start of the H-1B debate.
In response, conservative commentator Laura Loomer commented on Musk’s post, saying, “[Musk] has been a Republican for 5 minutes and now he wants to decide who gets to be a Republican. Elon, you said you were a free speech absolutist. If you are, let’s please let all ideas flourish and we will let the best ideas win. Let’s embrace free speech absolutism.”
{Matzav.com}