The issue of immigrant labor has created rifts between Donald Trump's new Silicon Valley allies and his most ardent supporters within the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement.
A heated internal dispute erupted after President-elect Trump selected Sriram Krishnan, an Indian-American venture capitalist from Silicon Valley, as an advisor on artificial intelligence (AI) policy. The disagreement has pitted Elon Musk, the billionaire tech mogul, and Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-leaders of the Government Efficiency Board, against staunch Trump loyalists like far-right activist Laura Loomer and former congressman Matt Gaetz. The debate underscores a growing divide among Trump’s supporters on immigration, a key issue that helped secure his victory in the presidential election.
Loomer, a vocal anti-immigration advocate, called the selection of Krishnan “extremely concerning.”
She criticized Krishnan for supporting visa extensions and green cards for highly skilled immigrant workers, saying such positions are “completely at odds” with Trump’s agenda.
Loomer reportedly encouraged Trump to spread false claims about Haitian immigrants during a debate with Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in September.
Her remarks drew sharp criticism from Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla and one of Trump’s most influential allies. Musk, himself an immigrant from South Africa, countered Loomer’s comments on X, the social media platform he owns.
“America is chronically short on exceptional technical talent. This is a fundamental constraint in Silicon Valley,” Musk posted on Christmas Day.
In a follow-up post, he added, “This leads us to a simple question: Do you want America to win, or do you want America to lose? If you force the world’s best talent to work for the other side, America loses. Period.”
Ramaswamy Joins the Debate
Musk’s stance was echoed by Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants, who argued that the U.S. would decline without attracting skilled immigrant labor.
“The reason leading tech companies hire foreign-born engineers and first-generation immigrants over ‘native-born’ Americans isn’t because Americans have inherently lower IQs. It’s partly cultural,” Ramaswamy wrote in a social media post.
He added, “A culture that celebrates mediocrity instead of excellence—homecoming queens over math Olympiad champions, athletes over valedictorians—won’t produce the best engineers. Mediocrity has no place in a global talent competition.”
Backlash from MAGA Advocates
Ramaswamy’s comments sparked a strong backlash from MAGA supporters, led by Loomer, who invoked racially charged arguments.
“Vivek Ramaswamy knows the Great Replacement theory is real,” she wrote, referencing a far-right conspiracy theory that claims white populations in Western countries are being replaced by non-white immigrants.
“I voted for cutting H1B visas, not extending them,” Loomer said.
H1B visas allow U.S. companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers for specific periods. Loomer accused tech billionaires of rewriting immigration policies for personal gain.
“These tech billionaires can’t just waltz into Mar-a-Lago, write massive checks, and rewrite our immigration policies to import unlimited slave labor from India and China who will never assimilate,” she wrote. “You don’t even know what MAGA immigration policy is.”
Podcast host Brenden Dilley, another Trump supporter, ridiculed Ramaswamy, saying, “I always enjoy these tech guys openly admitting they don’t understand American culture, then blaming you for the country’s problems.”
Even Nikki Haley, a Republican presidential candidate and daughter of Indian immigrants, pushed back, stating, “There’s nothing wrong with American workers or American culture. Look at our borders—people are desperate for what we have. We should invest in Americans, not foreign labor.”
A Preview of Internal Conflict
The controversy highlights a looming battle among Trump’s supporters. During his first term, Trump limited access to H1B visas, citing potential abuses, but in this campaign, he has signaled openness to legal immigration for highly skilled workers.
“If you graduate or earn a Ph.D. from an American university, you should be able to stay in this country,” Trump said in June.
Samuel Hammond, a senior economist at the American Innovation Fund, said the dispute signals potential for internal conflict under a Trump administration.
“This feels like a preview of the infighting and disagreements we’ll see over the next four years,” Hammond wrote.
(Sources: Guardian, AFP, Reuters)
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