Trump advisers Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy open rift over immigrant worker visas
NBCJan 01
Trump Declares Support for H-1B Visas
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The Facts
US Pres.-elect Donald Trump on Saturday expressed support for the H-1B work visa program in an interview with The New York Post. He said he's "always liked the visas" and considers it "a great program," despite previously restricting access to these visas during his first term.
The debate over the H-1B visa program intensified after Trump appointees Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy publicly defended it. Musk vowed to go to "war" to protect access to these visas that allow highly skilled foreign workers to work in the US.
The Spin
Republican narrative
Democrats hoping for a civil war in the Republican Party over the H-1B program will be disappointed to learn that this debate has brought greater unity, not division. Moving forward, the GOP will be devoted to overhauling the program in order to make sure that American workers are on a level playing field with their foreign counterparts and that low-paying jobs and scams end.
Democratic narrative
Given that anti-immigrant rhetoric has been a major part of his campaign for over a decade, Trump and his cabinet appointees were bound to receive far-right blowback for taking this position on H-1Bs. The president-elect hasn't healed any rift in the GOP — he's only proven that he still doesn't grasp the policy. If history tells Americans anything, he could change his mind yet again in the near future.
Conservative narrative
H-1Bs are a scam being played on American workers by tech oligarchs who seek low-wage foreigners to replace hard-working Americans. Trump, who is aware of this fact, must resist bowing down to the greed of Musk and Ramaswamy and abolish these visas. The American people voted for America First policies, not the condescending elitism of tech executives.
