In an interview with the New York Post on Saturday, President-elect Donald J. Trump weighed in on the talk over the controversial H-1B visa worker program that has roiled his MAGA supporters this week after feedback by Trump allies Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy in assist of the overseas employee program.
The controversy has triggered a fracture in Trump’s 2024 election coalition, with avid Trump supporter Laura Loomer apparently being penalized on the Musk-owned X over her criticism of Musk and immigrant employee visas, and former Trump White Home advisor Steve Bannon talking out towards Musk and Ramaswamy.
Trump spoke to New York Post reporter Jon Levine by telephone, telling him he helps H-1B (excerpt):
“I’ve at all times preferred the visas, I’ve at all times been in favor of the visas. That’s why we now have them,” Trump stated by telephone, referring to the H-1B program, which allows corporations to rent overseas employees in specialty occupations.
“I’ve many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I’ve used it many occasions. It’s an excellent program,” added Trump, who restricted entry to overseas employee visas in his first administration and has been vital of this system up to now.
These temporary feedback by Trump have been all of the Publish reported.
Trump’s appointees to go DOGE (the Division of Authorities Effectivity fee), Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, picked a battle with a few of Trump’s hardest core America First supporters over work visas this week, utilizing phrases like “subtards” and criticizing American tradition of their arguments supporting importing overseas employees.
Musk exploded in rage Friday night time in a publish on X, threatening all-out conflict over the difficulty, “The explanation I’m in America together with so many vital individuals who constructed SpaceX, Tesla and a whole lot of different corporations that made America robust is due to H1B. Take an enormous step again and F*** YOURSELF within the face. I’ll go to conflict on this situation the likes of which you can not probably comprehend.”
The explanation I’m in America together with so many vital individuals who constructed SpaceX, Tesla and a whole lot of different corporations that made America robust is due to H1B.
Take an enormous step again and FUCK YOURSELF within the face. I’ll go to conflict on this situation the likes of which you can not…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 28, 2024
Earlier, Musk had referred to as a few of his critics, “subtards”:
My tolerance for subtards is proscribed
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 27, 2024
For his half, Ramaswamy criticized American tradition, saying in a prolonged publish:
The explanation prime tech corporations usually rent foreign-born & first-generation engineers over “native” Individuals isn’t due to an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & flawed rationalization). A key a part of it comes all the way down to the c-word: tradition. Robust questions demand powerful solutions & if we’re actually severe about fixing the issue, we now have to confront the TRUTH:
Our American tradition has honored mediocrity over excellence for manner too lengthy (no less than because the 90s and sure longer). That doesn’t begin in faculty, it begins YOUNG.
A tradition that celebrates the promenade queen over the mathematics olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, is not going to produce the most effective engineers.
A tradition that venerates Cory from “Boy Meets World,” or Zach & Slater over Screech in “Saved by the Bell,” or ‘Stefan’ over Steve Urkel in “Household Issues,” is not going to produce the most effective engineers.
(Truth: I do know *a number of* units of immigrant dad and mom within the 90s who actively restricted how a lot their children may watch these TV exhibits exactly as a result of they promoted mediocrity…and their children went on to grow to be wildly profitable STEM graduates).
Extra films like Whiplash, fewer reruns of “Pals.” Extra math tutoring, fewer sleepovers. Extra weekend science competitions, fewer Saturday morning cartoons. Extra books, much less TV. Extra creating, much less “chillin.” Extra extracurriculars, much less “hanging out on the mall.”
Most conventional American dad and mom look skeptically at “these sorts of fogeys.” Extra regular American children view such “these sorts of children” with scorn. Should you develop up aspiring to normalcy, normalcy is what you’ll obtain.
Now shut your eyes & visualize which households you knew within the 90s (and even now) who elevate their children in response to one mannequin versus the opposite. Be brutally trustworthy.
“Normalcy” doesn’t minimize it in a hyper-competitive world marketplace for technical expertise. And if we fake prefer it does, we’ll have our asses handed to us by China.
This may be our Sputnik second. We’ve awaken from slumber earlier than & we are able to do it once more. Trump’s election hopefully marks the start of a brand new golden period in America, however provided that our tradition absolutely wakes up. A tradition that when once more prioritizes achievement over normalcy; excellence over mediocrity; nerdiness over conformity; onerous work over laziness.
That’s the work we now have minimize out for us, quite than wallowing in victimhood & simply wishing (or legislating) different hiring practices into existence. I’m assured we are able to do it.
The explanation prime tech corporations usually rent foreign-born & first-generation engineers over “native” Individuals isn’t due to an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & flawed rationalization). A key a part of it comes all the way down to the c-word: tradition. Robust questions demand powerful solutions & if…
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 26, 2024
Former Trump White Home official Theo Wold posted a few battle Trump waged and received to avoid wasting the roles of over 200 American employees in 2020 who have been set to be fired and compelled to coach their H-1B replacements by the Tennessee Valley Authority:
In Trump ‘45, the President had a showdown with the Tennessee Valley Authority over 200 American jobs that TVA had switched to H1Bs.
Within the run-up to Christmas, TVA fired these 200 Individuals – and had them prepare their overseas replacements on the way in which out.
They did this even though TVA is (1) a authorities company; (2) based to enhance the fabric station of poor Individuals, and (3) manages vital vitality infrastructure for a big swath of the nation.
My crew and I proposed a plan to President Trump to reinstate the terminated American employees. As a result of the President of TVA can’t be fired by the President of america we thought President Trump ought to maintain the TVA board members accountable – the highly-compensated decision-makers who had orchestrated the H1B employee swap.
The President agreed. He began firing TVA board members one after the other, with a requirement to reinstate the Individuals to their jobs. It didn’t take lengthy earlier than the TVA president and the remaining Board members agreed to reinstate the American employees.
On the time, some skeptical commentators stated it was meaningless as a result of it was “solely” 200 jobs. However it was an necessary second for 2 causes.
First, these 200 jobs mattered to 200 American households, particularly with Christmas approaching.
Second, it set an outer boundary for what short-term labor visas (which is in the end what the H1B visa is) ought to NOT be used for: to interchange competent American employees in a vital business with momentary overseas visa employees simply to avoid wasting a buck.
There may be broad settlement on the appropriate about what H1B visas – or some other visa – ought to NOT be used for. The TVA showdown is an instance of that.
Agreeing on this frequent understanding is the appropriate beginning place for this incoming administration.
In Trump ‘45, the President had a showdown with the Tennessee Valley Authority over 200 American jobs that TVA had switched to H1Bs.
Within the run-up to Christmas, TVA fired these 200 Individuals – and had them prepare their overseas replacements on the way in which out.
They did this regardless of… pic.twitter.com/s7VXNHEG9p
— Theo Wold (@RealTheoWold) December 28, 2024
Earlier than Trump spoke out on Saturday, supporters have been pointing to remarks by Vice President-elect Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) throughout his acceptance speech on the Republican Nationwide Conference final July, “We’re performed importing overseas labor! We’re going to battle for Americans and their good jobs and their good wages!”
Our Subsequent Vice President @JDVance
“We’re performed importing overseas labor! We’re going to battle for Americans and their good jobs and their good wages!”pic.twitter.com/IZ7yJfz9zU
— The Columbia Bugle (@ColumbiaBugle) December 27, 2024
Excerpt from the U.S. Department of Labor on the H-1B visa program:
The H-1B program applies to employers in search of to rent nonimmigrant aliens as employees in specialty occupations or as vogue fashions of distinguished advantage and talent. A specialty occupation is one which requires the applying of a physique of extremely specialised information and the attainment of no less than a bachelor’s diploma or its equal. The intent of the H-1B provisions is to assist employers who can not in any other case receive wanted enterprise abilities and skills from the U.S. workforce by authorizing the momentary employment of certified people who should not in any other case licensed to work in america.
The regulation establishes sure requirements as a way to shield equally employed U.S. employees from being adversely affected by the employment of the nonimmigrant employees, in addition to to guard the H-1B nonimmigrant employees. Employers should attest to the Division of Labor that they’ll pay wages to the H-1B nonimmigrant employees which are no less than equal to the precise wage paid by the employer to different employees with related expertise and {qualifications} for the job in query, or the prevailing wage for the occupation within the space of meant employment – whichever is larger.
Steve Bannon provides Musk his respect for his work supporting Trump within the 2024 election, however blasts the H-1B visa program: “Full respect to Elon Musk—he performed a key position in mobilizing low-prop voters and funding GOTV efforts. That earns him a seat on the desk. Let me simply restate one thing: as a truth, the H1B visa program is a complete and full rip-off from its prime to the underside.”
Bannon: Full respect to Elon Musk—he performed a key position in mobilizing low-prop voters and funding GOTV efforts. That earns him a seat on the desk. Let me simply restate one thing: as a truth, the H1B visa program is a complete and full rip-off from its prime to the underside. pic.twitter.com/d2MkvKqhoX
— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom) December 28, 2024