Special Poll
Elon Musk has sharply criticized a segment of President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters, referring to them as “contemptible fools,” as the debate over skilled worker visas heats up. The conflict has stirred tensions within Trump’s base, especially between Musk, his ally Vivek Ramaswamy, and the more hardline anti-immigration factions of the MAGA movement.
This week, Musk and Ramaswamy have found themselves at odds with those in the MAGA camp who are staunchly opposed to legal immigration. The debate has mainly unfolded on the social media platform X, with Scott Adams, the right-leaning creator of “Dilbert,” adding his voice to the controversy. Adams suggested that the MAGA movement was repeating the mistakes of the Democrats by “losing elections while feeling good about themselves.”
Musk, who has been an advocate for skilled foreign workers, agreed with Adams’ assessment and further emphasized his point, declaring that the “contemptible fools” in the Republican Party—those he accused of being hateful and unrepentant racists—must be expelled if the party is to survive.
The billionaire tech entrepreneur, who has invested heavily in supporting Trump’s re-election bid, clarified his remarks, stating that he was specifically referring to individuals who are perpetuating racism within the GOP. He warned that if these individuals are not removed from the party, they would contribute to its downfall.
Ramaswamy’s comments earlier in the week had ignited the flames of this internal GOP feud. He argued that the shortage of U.S.-born engineers was a direct result of American culture’s long-standing preference for mediocrity over excellence. Musk, who has aligned himself more with Trump in recent months, voiced his support for Ramaswamy’s position.
The controversy escalated further when far-right figure Laura Loomer attacked Trump’s decision to appoint Sriram Krishnan, an advocate for immigration reform, as a policy adviser on AI. Loomer criticized Krishnan for his November post, where he called for removing country caps for green cards and expanding skilled immigration, which she opposed.