Special Poll
Former Trump adviser Steve Bannon has directed sharp criticism at Elon Musk, telling the billionaire and key Trump supporter to “sit in the back and study.” The comment comes amid tensions between President-elect Trump’s Silicon Valley backers and his anti-immigration base over policies concerning visas for highly skilled workers.
“They’re recent converts,” Bannon said during his War Room podcast on Tuesday, referring to Musk and other tech industry figures who have recently aligned with Trump. “We love converts, but converts sit in the back and study for years to make sure they understand the faith, its nuances, and how to internalize it.”
Bannon continued, warning Musk not to overstep: “Don’t come in and take the pulpit in your first week and start lecturing people about how things should be. If you do that, we’re going to rip your face off.”
Musk, once largely apolitical, has become a prominent figure in Trump’s orbit, contributing over $250 million to the president-elect’s campaign and agreeing to co-chair the newly formed “Department of Government Efficiency” alongside tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Musk’s involvement, along with other tech executives, including some who previously supported Democrats, has reshaped the political perception of Silicon Valley.
However, a rift has emerged between Trump’s tech allies and his traditional MAGA supporters over H-1B visas. The debate escalated after Trump appointed venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan as a senior policy adviser on artificial intelligence. Comments by Krishnan suggesting the removal of per-country caps on green cards to attract highly skilled immigrants were resurfaced by far-right activist Laura Loomer, who called the appointment “deeply disturbing.”
In response, Musk and other Silicon Valley conservatives defended Krishnan, arguing that skilled immigration is essential to filling workforce gaps in the tech industry. Musk went so far as to call Trump’s anti-immigration supporters “contemptible fools” who should be “removed from the Republican Party, root and stem.”
Loomer fired back, accusing Musk of censoring her on X, the social platform he owns, and taking away her verification. Appearing on Bannon’s podcast earlier this week, Loomer described Musk as a “Stage 5 clinger,” further intensifying the feud. The growing divide highlights ongoing tensions between Trump’s new tech-world allies and his traditional base, as they navigate conflicting priorities within the party.