Public statements or verified social media posts from Elon Musk

Trump's Appointment of Sriram Krishnan as AI Advisor Sparks MAGA Rift Over H-1B Visas

Dec 28, 2024, 03:00 AM

President-elect Donald Trump's appointment of Indian-American venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan as senior policy advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the White House has ignited a political firestorm among his supporters, leading to what some describe as a 'MAGA civil war'. The decision has sparked a heated debate within the MAGA base, with far-right activists expressing anti-Indian sentiment and opposing the selection due to Krishnan's previous advocacy for lifting caps on green cards. High-profile figures like Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have come to Krishnan's defense, openly supporting the H-1B visa program and highlighting the importance of skilled foreign workers in the tech industry. Musk went further, criticizing MAGA hardliners as 'contemptible fools' who should be removed from the GOP, and declared he would 'go to war' over H-1B visas. The clash has exposed internal divisions in Trump's political movement over immigration policies and the role of immigrant labor versus American workers in the technology sector.