By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-29 13:23:12 | Updated at 2025-01-01 10:06:37
2 days ago
Sarah Palin has joined the MAGA civil war against Elon Musk over the H1-B visa program.
The former Governor of Alaska shared an article on Instagram about how the Tesla boss liked a post suggesting American workers are too 'ret****d' to do skilled work.
It is the latest development in the ongoing fray between Musk and other MAGA loyalists over his support for the visa program allowing employers to recruit skilled foreigners.
At the heart of the storm is Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential hopeful and Donald Trump appointee, whose outspoken defense of the program has triggered backlash from high-profile Republicans - but garnered support from Musk.
But now Palin has laid bare her allegiances as she reposted the Mediaite article with the scathing comment: 'Wow. Do Better.'
It comes as Musk vowed to 'go to war' with those who oppose the scheme, including the likes of right-wing conspiracist Laura Loomer and former Governor of South Carolina Nikki Haley.
Musk has been unequivocal in his support for his co-chief of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy ignited the controversy with a provocative post on X, which Musk said 'pretty much sums it up'.
Sarah Palin has joined the MAGA civil war against Elon Musk over the H1-B visa program
The former Governor of Alaska shared an article on Instagram about how the Tesla boss had liked a post suggesting that American workers are too 'ret****d' to do skilled work
In his message, Ramaswamy voiced strong support for bringing 'highly skilled' foreign workers to the U.S., even as MAGA voters and Trump himself have championed stricter immigration policies.
'The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over 'native' Americans isn't because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation),' Ramaswamy wrote.
'A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if we're really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the TRUTH: Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long.'
He further criticized the nation's cultural priorities, stating that a society celebrating 'the prom queen over the math olympiad champ' and 'the jock over the valedictorian' would inevitably fail to produce the world's best engineers.
Ramaswamy bizarrely blamed a series of 1990s TV sitcoms for what he saw as a decline in America's lead in the fields of science and tech.
While the president-elect has yet to issue a direct response, his supporters and MAGA-aligned figures have not held back.
Musk has been in hot water with MAGA loyalists over his support for the visa scheme that allows employers to recruit skilled foreigners
The president-elect has not waded into the debate but many of his supporters have
Haley, who positioned herself as a moderate during the 2024 Republican primaries, offered a biting response.
'There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture,' Haley declared.
Loomer was more aggressive in her response, which relied upon a racist conspiracy theory known as 'great replacement'.
Amid the controversy, Loomer was locked out of her X account and began frantically bombarding Musk with messages accusing the free-speech advocate of censorship and begging to be let back on.
'Elon Musk has been a Republican for 5 minutes and now he wants to decide who gets to be a Republican,' Loomer fumed.
'Elon, you said you were a free speech absolutist. If you are, let’s please let all ideas flourish and we will let the best ideas win. Let’s embrace free speech absolutism.'
On Thursday Musk posted a 'reminder' to X, writing that the site's algorithm automatically reduces the reach of a user if they're blocked or muted by other users.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a former GOP presidential hopeful and Trump appointee, has been outspoken in his defense of the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. companies to hire highly skilled foreign workers
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who positioned herself as a moderate during the 2024 Republican primaries, offered a biting response
Far-right commentator Laura Loomer, pictured, took an even harsher stance
He said: 'If far more credible, verified subscriber accounts (not bots) mute/block your account compared to those who like your posts, your reach will decline significantly.'
Right-wing provocateur Mike Cernovich also weighed in, lambasting Ramaswamy's comments as dismissive of America's storied history of innovation.
'The Woodstock generation managed to build out aerospace, the one before went to the moon,' he wrote.
'Underlying your post is that we were all living in squalor until being rescued by H-1B's. Then why did everyone want to come here?'
Ramaswamy responded: 'That version of America, the one that used to embody unbridled exceptionalism, is exactly what we want to return to. That's a point about culture, not immigration policy.'
Even MAGA influencers like Jack Posobiec joined the fray, questioning why America would seek foreign workers instead of nurturing domestic talent.
'Imagine how many more JD Vances are out there,' Posobiec argued, referencing the MAGA-aligned senator known for his rags-to-riches story.
