Tech billionaire Elon Musk is blasting a segment of President-elect Donald Trump's supporters, calling them "contemptible fools" amid an ongoing debate over visas for highly skilled workers.
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Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency partner Vivek Ramaswamy clashed with the anti-immigration faction of the MAGA base on X, with Musk strongly advocating for the inclusion of foreign-born engineers in the workforce.
The discussion focused on the H-1B visa program, which allows companies to hire foreign workers in specialized fields, particularly in technology and engineering. Musk and others engaged in a heated exchange, debating the program's impact on American workers.
Critics of the H-1B visa system argue that it takes jobs away from U.S. citizens by allowing companies to hire foreign workers at lower wages. In contrast, Musk and his allies contend that these skilled foreign professionals are essential to maintaining America's competitive edge in technology and innovation.
Ramaswamy sparked the firestorm on Thursday when he claimed that the shortage of U.S.-born engineers is a result of American culture having "venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long."
"A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math Olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers," he wrote.
While Musk and others argued that the visa program should be expanded, the debate grew more intense as the conversation grew to broader issues of free speech and immigration policies.
On Friday, right-leaning "Dilbert" cartoonist Scott Adams chimed in and warned that the GOP risks losing elections by alienating certain groups.
"MAGA is taking a page from Democrats on how to lose elections while feeling good about themselves," he wrote on X.
Musk agreed with Adams and took it one step further, saying "those contemptible fools must be removed from the Republican Party, root and stem."
He then clarified that the "contemptible fools" he referenced "are those in the Republican Party who are hateful, unrepentant racists. They will be the downfall of the Republican Party if they are not removed."
As for the president-elect, he appears to be aligning with Musk. Trump publicly expressed his support for H-1B immigrant visas in an interview with the New York Post, signaling his commitment to policies that encourage skilled immigration.
"I've always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That's why we have them," Trump said. "I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I've been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It's a great program."
The Post noted that Trump limited access to foreign worker visas during his first term and has previously expressed criticism of the program.
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