Former GOP heavyweight joins the MAGA civil war against Elon Musk
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 that American workers are too “backward” to do skilled work.
It’s the latest development in the ongoing battle between Musk and other MAGA loyalists over his support for the visa program that allows employers to recruit skilled foreigners.
At the heart of the storm is Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican Party presidential candidate and Donald Trump appointee, whose outspoken defense of the program has sparked backlash from high-profile Republicans — but won support from Musk.
But now Palin has exposed her loyalties when she reposted the Mediaite article with the scathing comment: “Wow. Do better.’
It comes as Musk vowed to “go to war” with those opposed to the plan, including right-wing conspirator Laura Loomer and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley.
Musk has been unequivocal in his support for his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-chief Ramaswamy.
Ramaswamy stoked the controversy with a provocative post on X, which Musk said “just about 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 liked a post suggesting American workers are too ‘backward’ to do skilled work
In his message, Ramaswamy expressed strong support for bringing “highly skilled” foreign workers to the US, while MAGA voters and Trump himself have called for stricter immigration policies.
“The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born and first-generation engineers instead of ‘native’ Americans is not because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy and wrong explanation),” Ramaswamy wrote.
“An important part of it comes down to the C-word: culture. Difficult questions require difficult answers, and if we are serious about solving the problem, we must face the TRUTH: Our American culture has honored mediocrity over excellence for far too long.”
He further criticized the country’s cultural priorities, stating that a society that celebrates “the prom queen over the Math Olympiad champion” 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 edge in science and technology.
While the president-elect has yet to provide a direct response, his supporters and MAGA affiliates have not held back.
Musk has fallen out with MAGA loyalists over his support of the visa scheme that allows employers to recruit skilled foreigners
The president-elect has not joined the debate, but many of his supporters have
Haley, who positioned himself as a moderate during the 2024 Republican primaries, responded sharply.
“There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture,” Haley declared.
Loomer was more aggressive in her response, which relied on 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 regained access.
“Elon Musk has been a Republican for five minutes and now he wants to decide who can become a Republican,” Loomer said angrily.
“Elon, you said you were a free speech absolutist. If so, please let’s let all ideas flourish and let the best ideas win. Let us embrace the absolutism of free speech.”
On Thursday, Musk posted a “reminder” to X, writing that the site’s algorithm automatically reduces a user’s reach if they are blocked or muted by other users.
Vivek Ramaswamy, a former Republican Party presidential candidate and Trump appointee, has been outspoken about 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, responded with a caustic response
Far-right commentator Laura Loomer, pictured, took an even tougher stance
He said: “If many more credible, verified subscriber accounts (not bots) mute/block your account compared to those who like your posts, your reach will be significantly reduced.”
Right-wing provocateur Mike Cernovich also weighed in, denouncing Ramaswamy’s comments as dismissive of America’s storied history of innovation.
“The Woodstock generation succeeded in developing space travel, the generation before it went to the moon,” he wrote.
“The basis of your message is that we all lived in misery until we were rescued by H-1Bs. Then why did everyone want to come here?’
Ramaswamy responded, “That version of America, which used to embody rampant exceptionalism, is exactly what we want to return to. That’s about culture, not about immigration policy.’
Even MAGA influencers like Jack Posobiec joined the fray, wondering why America would seek foreign workers instead of nurturing domestic talent.
“Imagine how many more JD Vances there are,” Posobiec argued, referring to the MAGA-oriented senator known for his rags-to-riches story.