Billionaire Elon Musk, a vocal supporter of President-elect Donald Trump, is drawing criticism for endorsing a post on Thursday that suggested Americans are too “retarded” to be hired for skilled jobs. The South Africa-born CEO of X (formerly Twitter), SpaceX, and Tesla made the comment during a heated online debate about H-1B visas and the preference for foreign labor over American workers.
The controversy started when a pro-Musk account posted a contentious breakdown of the divide within right-leaning factions regarding foreign labor. The post suggested that the “tech right” prioritizes hiring foreign workers through H-1B visas because they view Americans as unskilled, whereas the “right right” insists on hiring Americans but fails to address the lack of training opportunities. The post concluded, “You can’t outtrain being retarded.”
Musk responded, “That pretty much sums it up,” hours after defending one of his engineers who had come under fire for sharing racist, anti-White commentary. Musk added, “This was eye-opening,” further fueling backlash over his stance on the issue.
Adding to the controversy, Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk’s co-chair in the newly-announced Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), suggested that U.S. companies avoid hiring Americans because they are raised in a “culture of mediocrity.” Ramaswamy’s remarks were met with widespread condemnation, particularly from Trump supporters.
The endorsements and comments have sparked concern among Trump allies about Musk and Ramaswamy’s roles in the second Trump administration. Both were appointed last month by President-elect Trump to lead DOGE, a move initially praised for its focus on technological innovation and efficiency.
However, the divisive remarks this week have led many to question whether Musk and Ramaswamy’s views align with the values and priorities of Trump’s base.
As the backlash grows, Trump supporters are calling for a re-evaluation of the pair’s involvement in the administration and their influence on labor and immigration policies.
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