Trump says they are ‘great’ in skilled-work visa dispute

President-elect Donald Trump, entering a debate over immigration policy that has divided his supporters, told the New York Post that he supports a visa program for highly skilled workers that Elon Musk has staunchly defended.

Musk is among the tech leaders who have sparked a social-media storm this week over how to bring top talent to the U.S. — highlighting the friction between Trump’s Silicon Valley supporters and the anti-immigration sentiment that Helps boost their base.

“I’ve always been in favor of visas,” Trump told the Post in a phone interview. “I believe in H-1B. I have used it many times.”

Many employees at Trump properties have H-1B visas, which allow companies to hire foreign workers in specialized occupations. “It’s a wonderful program,” Trump told the outlet.

Trump’s stance could signal an emerging alliance with Musk, whose support of past and future presidents made him the largest single donor to US elections.

“There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. This is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley,” Musk, who used an H-1B visa to work in the US, previously wrote on X.

Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump has tapped with Musk to run a government efficiency initiative, also weighed in. He received particular attention for a post that argued that “American culture has prized mediocrity over excellence.”

Trump had restricted several types of visas, including H-1B, during his first term, citing the need to protect American workers as the COVID-19 pandemic led to job losses in the US. President Joe Biden let the measures expire.

Trump’s comments on Saturday indicate his flexibility on policy specifics and a tendency to let supporters fight over issues before making a move.

The controversy began when Laura Loomer, a far-right activist with a long-standing relationship with the president-elect, criticized his decision to nominate Indian-origin investor Sriram Krishnan as a senior policy adviser on artificial intelligence.

Loomer criticized Krishnan’s previous comments advocating for expanding access to green cards and skilled worker visas, calling them contrary to Trump’s “America First” stance.

This shocked Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who argued that American companies needed to recruit top talent from around the world to remain competitive.

The clash could determine how the incoming administration approaches immigration, which has long puzzled US policymakers, including Trump’s first administration.

Trump himself offered a more open approach to visas when asked during a podcast interview with venture capitalists David Sachs, Chamath Palihapitiya and Jason Calakanis and entrepreneur David Friedberg.

“You graduate from a college, I think you should automatically get a green card as part of your diploma to be able to stay in this country, and that includes junior colleges,” Trump said. ”

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.