Musk, Ramaswamy Divide Trump Base Over H1-B Visa Program; Trump Supports Them

President-elect Donald Trump voiced support for the H-1B visa program, which has divided Trump’s base after Elon Musk promised to “go to war” in support of it.

For Context: The H-1B program allows American companies to employ highly specialized foreign workers in specialty occupations for up to six years. H-1B visas are prevalent in states with thriving tech and pharmaceutical industries, such as New Jersey, which had nearly 30,000 H1-B petitions filed in 2023. California, Texas, and New York also have high numbers of H-1B petitions filed. In 2024, roughly 85,000 of 442,000 H1-B applicants were accepted.

MAGA Rift: Department of Government Efficiency leaders Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have voiced support for the program while other Trump allies like Steve Bannon and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) have criticized it.

Key Quotes: Musk wrote on X, “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… I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.” Trump told The New York Post (Lean Right bias) on Saturday he has “always liked the visas.”

How the Media Covered It: Many media outlets across the spectrum highlighted the division within Trump’s base as it emerged, with outlets from the left often posing more sensational headlines highlighting disagreements. Outlets across the spectrum covered Trump’s comments to the Post.