U.S. President-elect Trump said in a phone interview with the media that he supports the issuance of immigrant visas for high-skilled talents. He said: "I have always loved these visas. I have always supported these visas." Trump said that many employees in his company hold H-1B visas, and the H-1B program allows companies to hire foreign workers for professional jobs.
Trump's comments appeared to side with Elon Musk in a debate over visas that divided some of his supporters.
Previously, it was reported that there had been a dispute between Musk and die-hard Republican supporters. At the heart of the infighting is Trump's core election issue - immigration - and the H1-B visa, which allows companies to bring foreigners with certain qualifications to the United States.
On December 26, Musk posted on X that welcoming overseas elite engineering talents is “vital to the United States’ continued victory.” Ramaswamy, an Indian businessman who co-leads the "Government Efficiency Department" with Musk, said that many American companies prefer foreign workers because they do not have "American culture" and this culture advocates mediocrity.
Doubts about the benefits of immigration are a hallmark of Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) campaign, and Musk's comments have angered immigration hawks.
In the view of MAGA supporters, Musk and his Silicon Valley “tech brothers” have been deeply involved in MAGA politics. Laura Loomer, an influential MAGA figure and far-right conspiracy theorist, said: "Looking forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and the technology giants."
Currently, Trump’s comments seem to be siding with Elon Musk in the “Musk vs. MAGA” conflict.