'It’s A Great Programme': Trump Sides With Elon Musk Amid Racists Attack On Indian-Americans By His MAGA Supporters Over H1-B Visa Issue

Donald Trump entered the heated debate on Saturday (28 December), voicing his support for the H1-B visa programme that allows highly skilled workers to immigrate to the United States, a stance dividing his traditional supporters and influential tech figures like Elon Musk.

"I've always liked the (H1-B) visas, I have always been in favour of the visas, that's why we have them" at Trump-owned facilities, the president-elect told the New York Post in his first public remarks on the issue since the controversy gained traction earlier this week.

"I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great programme,” added Trump.

The debate over the H-1B issue has intensified on social media, pitting Silicon Valley figures like Musk against Trump's traditional anti-immigration supporters.

The clash reached a peak when Musk declared his readiness to "go to war" over the matter.

During his campaign, Trump's commitment to significantly reducing immigration played a key role in his November victory over President Joe Biden.

He has vowed to deport all undocumented immigrants and limit legal immigration.

However, tech leaders like Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and Vivek Ramaswamy, who is set to co-chair a government cost-cutting panel with Musk under Trump, argue that the US lacks sufficient highly skilled graduates, strongly advocating for the continuation of the H1-B programme.

Musk, who immigrated to the US from South Africa on an H1-B visa, emphasised on Thursday via his X platform that attracting top-tier engineering talent from abroad is "essential for America to keep winning."

The debate grew more contentious after Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants, criticised what he described as an "American culture" that celebrates mediocrity.

He warned that the US could risk "having our asses handed to us by China."

Ramaswamy's comments provoked backlash from prominent conservatives, many of whom had supported Trump long before Musk became an active proponent.

Musk reportedly contributed over $250 million to Trump’s campaign this year.

Laura Loomer, a far-right MAGA activist known for promoting conspiracy theories and a frequent passenger on Trump's campaign plane, stated, "Looking forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and Big Tech."

"We have to protect President Trump from the technocrats," Loomer added.

Loomer and other Trump loyalists argued that the president-elect should focus on prioritising American workers and imposing stricter immigration controls.

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