Debate Erupts Over H-1B Visas: Musk, Ramaswamy, Patel Criticized Amid MAGA Rift
3 min read
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
A growing rift within MAGA circles has emerged, with prominent figures like Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and Kash Patel finding themselves embroiled in a contentious debate over high-skilled immigrants and H-1B visas. The controversy gained traction after Laura Loomer, a MAGA loyalist and social media influencer, criticized Sriram Krishnan’s appointment as an AI policy adviser for President-elect Donald Trump, labeling it an affront to American workers.
Loomer’s inflammatory comments extended to broader criticisms of Indian professionals, whom she described as “third-world invaders.” She even took aim at Indian-American figures like Musk and Ramaswamy, alleging that immigrants were displacing American talent. Her claim that “the average IQ in India is 76” drew widespread condemnation.
MAGA is thisclose to figuring out Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s DOGE is a con.
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) December 26, 2024
🍿 pic.twitter.com/vOCBZeLKHB
Elon Musk, known for his outspoken views, swiftly addressed the issue on social media. Defending high-skilled immigration, Musk dismissed the notion of a “fixed pie” of economic opportunities. “The ‘fixed pie’ fallacy is at the heart of much wrong-headed economic thinking,” he tweeted. “There is essentially infinite potential for job and company creation. Think of all the things that didn’t exist 20 or 30 years ago!”
Vivek Ramaswamy, the biotech entrepreneur and Republican political figure, also weighed in, challenging the narrative of declining American ingenuity. “The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over ‘native’ Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation),” he argued. Instead, he pointed to a cultural issue: “Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long.”
Maybe if MAGA wasn't so anti-woke, they wouldn't have been sleeping while elitist billionaires weaseled their way into power. President Musk and his sidekick Ramaswamy trashed "native-born" Americans as unqualified to do the jobs of H-1B visa foreign-born workers. That's quite… pic.twitter.com/8yM02TOEj2
— Reecie @BlackWomenViews (@ReecieColbert) December 27, 2024
This sparked outrage from MAGA stalwarts, including former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Haley refuted Ramaswamy’s remarks, stating, “There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture. All you have to do is look at the border and see how many want what we have. We should be investing in and prioritizing Americans, not foreign workers.”
As the debate escalated, hundreds of MAGA supporters criticized Musk, Ramaswamy, and Patel, bringing additional scrutiny to their roles in the movement. President-elect Trump has yet to comment on the discord, but the fallout highlights the ideological fractures within MAGA, particularly on immigration and economic policy.
This internal feud underscores a broader challenge for Trump’s incoming administration: navigating the competing priorities of nationalist sentiment and the realities of a globalized workforce.
President-Elect Elon Musk and his sidekick Vivek Ramaswamy
— Adam Cohen | Lawyer. Activist. Advocate. #DemCast (@axidentaliberal) December 26, 2024
Who want to eliminate the Department of Education and severely restrict immigration
Are lamenting the fact that America doesn’t have enough skilled workers to do tech jobs
So they want to bring in immigrants instead pic.twitter.com/XcUqpmYoLS
Extremely disappointed in Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy today.
— Philip Anderson (@VoteHarrisOut) December 25, 2024
“America First” means more opportunities & jobs for American workers, not more foreign workers. pic.twitter.com/7Quy4tSIUc
Shivam Kumar
Hi, I'm Shivam Kumar. I'm pursuing Journalism honors from the IP University. I love the skill of writing and looking forward to learn more of it. Also I love traveling and experiencing new things every day....
