Elon Musk Rages Against GOP Rift Over Immigration: I Will Go to War on This!

A fierce battle is brewing within the Republican Party over the future of U.S. immigration policy, with tech billionaire Elon Musk finding himself unexpectedly at the center of the firestorm after vowing to "go to war" to defend the H-1B visa program that provides a pipeline of foreign talent to Silicon Valley.

The controversy erupted during the holiday break, when an irate Musk took to Twitter to assail opponents of the H-1B visa, which allows companies to temporarily hire highly skilled foreign workers. Musk's companies like Tesla and SpaceX rely heavily on H-1B employees. "I will go to war on this issue like the likes of which you cannot possibly imagine," Musk tweeted, adding that critics could "f-ck themselves."

However, Musk appears to have severely underestimated the fury his comments would unleash from Donald Trump's MAGA base, which has long opposed high-skilled immigration as vehemently as illegal border crossings. Hard-right pundits like Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer quickly mobilized a digital mob to attack Musk as a "globalist" traitor to the America First cause.

In an excerpt from his former Breitbart radio show unearthed this week, Bannon could be heard railing against "unlimited H-1B visas" as part of an effort by "oligarchs" to undermine Trump. Bannon argues immigration of all kinds, both illegal and legal, has "overwhelmed the country." Loomer piled on, tweeting "I don't think it's acceptable for billionaires to have this much power and access," referring to Musk.

Amid the barrage of online abuse from erstwhile MAGA allies, a seemingly chastened Musk deleted many of his provocative tweets and appeared to surrender, posting that America's legal immigration system is "broken." The hasty retreat marks a stunning reversal for the world's richest man, who just days earlier had been prepared to wage digital Armageddon against restrictionists.

The feud highlights the glaring contradictions and irreconcilable differences in the current Republican coalition over immigration. On one side stands the traditional business lobby, represented by figures like Musk, which favors robust high-skilled immigration to provide cheap labor for corporate America. On the other side are the nativist true believers, personified by Bannon, who demand an end to nearly all immigration on cultural grounds.

These two factions were tenuously united under Trump, who inconsistently catered to both camps, railing against "rapists" and "invasion" at his rallies while quietly expanding guest worker programs at his businesses. But with the GOP poised to take unified control in Washington, the détente is breaking down.

Trump himself, ever mercurial, initially seemed to side with Musk, telling the New York Post he is "a believer in H-1B" visas and has "used them many times." But the ex-president also backed similar programs as a candidate before lurching hard right under the influence of advisors like Stephen Miller. With the 2024 primaries looming, Trump will face immense grassroots pressure to adopt a more hawkish stance.

The simmering civil war could severely complicate the GOP's governing agenda. Party leadership is desperate to keep its disparate coalition together, with figures like Kevin McCarthy and Ronna McDaniel pleading for unity. But the genie may already be out of the bottle. As Bannon gleefully noted amidst the Musk meltdown: "This is not a civil war because they're not tough enough, they're just not."

It remains unclear which side will prevail in this high-stakes staring contest. The GOP donor class still favors a steady flow of skilled immigrant labor. But the MAGA diehards calling the shots online and in the primary electorate are increasingly militant on the issue. One thing is certain: whichever faction wins, the bitterness and acrimony unleashed will not soon be forgotten. The scars of this fight could haunt the halls of Congress - and Elon Musk's Twitter feed - for years to come.