President-elect Donald Trump has apparently expressed support for the H-1B visa program for highly skilled nonimmigrant workers amid ongoing clashes among individuals such as Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy and Sriram Krishnan over the issue. In an exclusive interview with The New York Post Saturday, Trump stated, “I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them.” He also added, “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.”
This sudden expression of support from Trump comes as a surprise, as he has previously opposed the H-1B visa program. However, the president-elect seems to have had a change of heart, acknowledging the importance of bringing in highly skilled workers to fill important roles in the United States.
The ongoing clash over the H-1B program was sparked by Trump’s appointment of Sriram Krishnan as Senior Policy Adviser for Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) on Sunday. Krishnan, an Indian-born U.S. citizen, has had a successful career at companies such as Microsoft, Snap, Facebook, Yahoo, and Twitter, before becoming a venture capitalist at Andreessen Horowitz.
Individuals such as Musk and Ramaswamy have been vocal in their support for the H-1B program, arguing that the U.S. could potentially lose out on top talent if strict immigration policies are put in place. Ramaswamy even took to social media to defend the program, stating, “Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long. A culture that celebrates the prom queen over the math olympiad champ, or the jock over the valedictorian, will not produce the best engineers.”
However, not everyone shares the same sentiment. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley responded to Ramaswamy’s post, saying, “There is nothing wrong with American workers or American culture. All you have to do is look at the border and see how many want what we have. We should be investing and prioritizing in Americans, not foreign workers.”
The clash between these individuals has become increasingly heated, with internet personality Laura Loomer calling Krishnan’s appointment “deeply disturbing” and Musk labeling her a troll. Former White House advisor Steve Bannon also chimed in, responding to Musk’s defense of the H-1B program with a snarky tweet, “Someone please notify ‘Child Protective Services’— need to do a ‘wellness check’ on this toddler.”
Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the H-1B visa program, Trump’s expression of support for it has caused a stir among his critics. However, it is a signal that the president-elect may have a different stance on immigration and skilled workers than initially thought.
Source: SilverCircular
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