Elon Musk is facing backlash from the right after suggesting the U.S. needs more skilled foreign workers to address a shortage of top engineers. His comments, made amid mass tech layoffs and ongoing debates over the H1-B visa system, have sparked outrage, particularly from pro-Trump conservatives.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk has come under fire from the right on X following comments that seem to encourage high-skilled immigration to the United States and hiring of foreign workers over local talent, namely in the tech industry.
Musk, who arrived in the U.S. from his home country of South Africa in the early 90s, spoke about a “dire shortage of extremely talented and motivated engineers in America,” he tweeted on Wednesday.
“If you force the world’s best talent to play for the other side, America will LOSE. End of story,” he continued.
Elon’s remarks follow another huge round of tech lay-offs, which saw over 130,000 jobs from 457 companies cut nationwide this year.
Top American companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft and the Musk-headed Tesla made redundancies this year. They also lead the way when it comes to visa sponsorship of foreign workers under the H1-B visa system.
H1-B visas are non-immigrant visas that allow employers to hire highly skilled foreign workers. First introduced in 1991, they have been a sore point for those on the right who feel like the system unfairly prioritises non-American workers because they are often cheaper hires. “100k tech workers laid off this year. “Dire shortage” does not pass the smell test. Let’s face it, salary is a huge factor here, no?,” tweeted one X account holder.
The X CEO’s seeming u-turn has sparked outrage from conservatives, many of whom supported his involvement in Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, which made immigration a central issue.
“We need to cultivate American talent - telling young software engineers that they can be replaced by cheap foreign labor at any time is a perverse incentive structure and it will dissuade the best and brightest Americans from entering those fields,” wrote one popular, pro-Trump account.
Some criticism has veered into anti-Indian sentiment, fueled by the appointment of Indian-American entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan as a senior AI policy adviser under the incoming Trump administration.
“Did any of yall vote for this Indian to run America?” snarked one critic on Tuesday in a viral tweet. While one popular pro-MAGA, pro-Trump, @LauraLoomer, wrote, ““High skilled immigrant” Doesn’t have running water or toilet paper. Lmao.”
Loomer has since faced backlash from many fellow X users. “India does have many very intelligent people. It doesn’t reflect well on you to demean someone for coming from poverty.”
Musk himself has reportedly retaliated by removing Loomer’s blue tick verification mark and her subscribers. In what seemed like a covert warning, Musk tweeted, “any accounts found to be engaged in coordinated attacks to spam target accounts with mute/blocks will themselves be categorized – correctly – as spam.”
While some users have called Musk’s actions “censorship,” others have defended his stance. Indian-American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy echoed Musk’s comments, tweeting, “America-First means we want America to WIN. Playing for second place doesn’t cut it.”
The clash highlights growing tensions among American conservatives over immigration, the economy and the role of foreign talent in shaping the country’s future.
Tesla has begun a small-scale robotaxi trial in Austin, Texas, deploying about 10 self-driving cars to pick up paying passengers in a limited area, as the state enacts new regulations for autonomous vehicles.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that there could be “serious consequences” if Elon Musk provides financial support to Democratic candidates challenging Republicans who back Trump’s tax-cut bill, signalling a sharp turn in their previously cordial relationship.
This edition of Newshour explores the roots and ripple effects of President Trump’s clash with Elon Musk. AnewZ correspondent Oubai Shahbandar joins the program to unpack the political and economic stakes, while residents of Oakland, California share how the dispute resonates on the ground.
SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket carrying the SXM-10 satellite for SiriusXM early Saturday, marking another success despite rising political tensions.
An escalating feud between Elon Musk and Donald Trump threatens to disrupt key U.S. space programs and jeopardize $22 billion in government contracts with SpaceX.
A belt of volcanic rock in northeastern Quebec has been dated to 4.16 billion years ago, making it the oldest known rock on Earth and offering rare insight into the planet’s mysterious infancy.
Russia and Ukraine have carried out a new prisoner exchange, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday, following talks earlier this month in Türkiye.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel’s recent victory in its conflict with Iran opens a path to expanded peace deals, including the possible addition of Saudi Arabia and Syria to the Abraham Accords.
A key unit at Iran’s South Pars gas field, damaged during Israel’s first strike on the country’s energy infrastructure, has resumed operations just 10 days after the attack.
Iran launched 18 ballistic missiles late Sunday targeting the U.S. military’s Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the largest American installation in the Middle East.
Iranian missiles struck multiple locations across Israel and neighbouring regions early Friday morning, including a Microsoft office complex, according to emergency responders and local media reports.
A high-speed tram derailment in central Gothenburg, Sweden, has left at least eight people injured late on Thursday (19 June), after the vehicle slammed into a snack bar on Avenyn Avenue.
Wizz Air has suspended all flights to and from Tel Aviv, Israel, and its European services to Amman, Jordan, effective immediately until 15 September due to escalating situation in the Middle East. Also, the air carrier temporarily suspended its flights between Astana, Kazakhstan, and Abu Dhabi.
China has unveiled a mosquito-sized bionic drone designed for covert military operations and battlefield reconnaissance, marking a major advance in micro-robotics and stealth technology as part of the country’s growing focus on next-generation warfare capabilities.
The White House has indicated that President Donald Trump may push back looming tariff deadlines, signalling flexibility in his approach to ongoing trade talks.
Russia and Ukraine have carried out a new prisoner exchange, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday, following talks earlier this month in Türkiye.
Kenya’s interior minister has accused demonstrators of attempting to overthrow the government during deadly protests that left at least 16 people dead, amid growing calls for dialogue between the state and the country’s disaffected youth.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that U.S. President Donald Trump is ready to join a Ukraine peace summit in Türkiye, but only if Russian President Vladimir Putin also agrees to attend.
A belt of volcanic rock in northeastern Quebec has been dated to 4.16 billion years ago, making it the oldest known rock on Earth and offering rare insight into the planet’s mysterious infancy.
Russia and Ukraine have carried out a new prisoner exchange, officials from both countries confirmed on Thursday, following talks earlier this month in Türkiye.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel’s recent victory in its conflict with Iran opens a path to expanded peace deals, including the possible addition of Saudi Arabia and Syria to the Abraham Accords.
A key unit at Iran’s South Pars gas field, damaged during Israel’s first strike on the country’s energy infrastructure, has resumed operations just 10 days after the attack.
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