United States President-elect Donald Trump’s former adviser, Steve Bannon, has vowed to remove Elon Musk from the White House in the ongoing tensions within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement.
In an interview with an Italian newspaper, Bannon expressed his personal mission to ensure that Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, does not have a role in Trump’s administration. He referred to Musk as a “truly evil guy” and stated that he would not tolerate his influence any longer.
Bannon also suggested that Musk, who was born in South Africa but is now a US citizen, should return to his home country. This comes after Musk defended the use of H-1B visas to recruit foreign tech workers, a move which sparked controversy among Trump supporters.
The disagreement over foreign employees in Silicon Valley came to a head when Trump appointed Indian American venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan as an advisor on artificial intelligence, causing backlash from far-right and nationalist followers. Musk, who once held an H-1B visa, stood up for foreign workers in Silicon Valley and condemned the criticism.
Despite previous efforts to limit H-1B visa issuance, Trump supported Musk’s views on the program, calling it a “great program.” Bannon, however, criticized Musk for his views, accusing him of having the “maturity of a little boy” and pursuing wealth and power through his business ventures.
In recent months, Musk has become a key ally of Trump, participating in meetings with lawmakers and foreign leaders, and co-leading the Department of Government Efficiency. Trump has relied on Musk’s expertise in technology and business to navigate various challenges facing his administration.
Overall, the tensions between Bannon and Musk reflect a larger debate within the MAGA movement over the role of foreign workers in the tech industry and the direction of US policy on immigration.
