(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) President-elect Donald Trump has shut down the debate among some of his supporters regarding the future of the controversial H-1B visas, stating his support for the program.
In a phone interview with the New York Post on Saturday, Trump emphasized that he is in favor of H-1B visas, which allow businesses to bring in foreign nationals for temporary positions that Americans may not want to fill.
“I’ve always liked the visas,” Trump said during the interview. “I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them. I have many H-1B visas on my properties.”
He added, “I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program.”
Trump’s statements contradict those of some of his staunchest supporters, including podcast host Steve Bannon.
The debate over H-1B visas gained traction after tech moguls Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy expressed their support for the program, claiming it benefits the U.S. economy.
Ramaswamy and Musk—both of whom Trump has tapped to lead the Department of Government Efficiency—came under fire after some of their comments were interpreted as dismissive and even offensive to the American labor force.
“Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long (at least since the 90s and likely longer),” Ramasamy wrote on X, sharing his claims for why foreigners might outperform American workers.
His post has since gone viral, garnering nearly 102 million views.
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). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if…
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 26, 2024
Musk echoed Ramaswamy’s sentiments, stating via X that he “will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.”
Earlier in his post, Musk wrote, “The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B.”
Bannon mocked Musk’s reactions, quipping on his WarRoom podcast: “Someone please notify ‘Child Protective Services’— need to do a ‘wellness check’ on this toddler.”
“They Want A Tech Feudalism.” Steve Bannon Claps Back @elonmusk And Exposes The Darker Element Of The H-1B Visa Program pic.twitter.com/CMNYSH9UBx
— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom) December 28, 2024
Bannon accused Ramaswamy of feeling “contempt for American culture.”
Bannon: @VivekGRamaswamy’s contempt for American culture is clear. No, it’s not where we want it to be—it’s been hit by wokeness and abandoned after November 5th because this audience broke it. pic.twitter.com/ADGhGmMG94
— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom) December 28, 2024
