US President-elect Trump, Musk defend H-1B visa program amid criticism from Republicans

US President-elect Donald Trump has sided with tech giant Elon Musk on H-1B visa program saying he is a “believer in H-1B”, an opinion conflicting with his political base.

"I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I've been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It's a great program," Trump told The New York Post on Dec 28.

“I've always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That's why we have them," Trump added.

Earlier, Tesla CEO vehemently supported H-1B visa program arguing that it is essential to maintaining America's competitive edge.

"Luring elite engineering talent from abroad is essential for America to keep winning," Musk posted on X, the microblogging site he owns.

The H-1B visa program allows US companies to hire skilled foreign workers. The program has sparked controversy among Trump’s supporters as they call for stricter immigration policies.

Musk, who previously held an H-1B visa and whose company Tesla obtained 724 of these visas this year, vowed to "go to war" to defend the program on Dec 27.

"There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent. It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley," Musk wrote on Dec 25 on X.

Trump’s support for H-1B visa is in contrast with his campaign promises to curb immigration and prioritize American jobs.

Musk and other tech industry leaders have argued that the visa program fills crucial gap in the workforce as there is a shortage of highly skilled workers within the US.

Meanwhile, personalities like Steve Bannon have criticized the heavy reliance of technology sector on foreign workers, alleging the program undercuts wages for Americans.

Mocking Musk on the issue, Bannon called him a "toddler" and called H-1B visa holders "indentured servants" exploited by big tech companies.

The fiasco around the visa program began a right-wing influencer Laura Loomer criticized Trump on selecting Indian-American entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration.

The debate further intensified after Republican Vivek Ramaswamy criticized American culture for promoting mediocrity instead of focusing on academic excellence.

“Trump’s election hopefully marks the beginning of a new golden era in America, but only if our culture fully wakes up. A culture that once again prioritizes achievement over normalcy; excellence over mediocrity; nerdiness over conformity; hard work over laziness,” Ramaswamy said on Dec 26.

(With inputs from PTI)