Elon Musk vs. Steve Bannon: Immigration Clash Sparks Rift Within Trump’s MAGA Base

Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s outspoken support for high-skilled immigration, including the controversial H1-B visa program, has sparked a fierce battle with key figures in President-elect Donald Trump’s populist base. Veteran GOP strategist Stuart Stevens suggested to MSNBC’s Nicolle Wallace that Musk’s enthusiasm for immigration reform might be driven by fears about his own citizenship status under Trump’s proposed deportation policies.

Speaking about the escalating feud between Musk and Trump-aligned populists, Wallace highlighted the stark conflict between Musk and longtime Trump adviser Steve Bannon. “Love him or loathe him, Steve Bannon went to jail for Donald Trump. I would not go against him,” Wallace said. “Can you weigh in on the brutality and the public nature of this very early and vicious fight between Steve Bannon and Elon Musk?”

• Elon Musk Faces Backlash Over Call for ‘Super Talented Engineers’ from Overseas
• Trump Faces MAGA Base Backlash Over H-1B Visa Controversy Sparked by Musk and Ramaswamy

Stevens described the clash as both dramatic and consequential. “Yes, it is absolutely difficult to watch. If it was not impactful for the future of the country, you can laugh at it,” he said. “Steve Bannon has defined himself as a dog. And he must do difficult things. [Musk] has no idea what he is getting into when he gets into a fight with Steve Bannon under this.”

He then raised a striking possibility: that Musk’s immigration advocacy might stem from concerns over his own naturalization process. “There is a good chance, and a lot of reporting, that Elon Musk was not a student when he got a visa,” Stevens said. “And when he went through the process of becoming a naturalized citizen, he put on false information.

If that’s true, that is grounds for revoking his citizenship. It happens all the time. And under Trump, that would mean deporting Musk and his children. You know, you could make a case that one of the reasons Musk is so obsessed with immigration is that he knows this.”

• Rep. Nicholas LaLota’s Residency Sparks Controversy Amid Re-Election Bid
• Campaign Walks Back Controversial Green Card Promise

The feud has drawn sharp divisions within Trump’s base, with Trump himself publicly backing Musk on the H1-B visa issue, much to the displeasure of his more hardline supporters. Bannon, a staunch opponent of expansive immigration policies, has stoked the flames of this internal conflict, drawing attention to Musk’s position as a potential vulnerability.

“And so,” Stevens concluded, “in the heart and soul of MAGA, I would not bet against Steve Bannon.” This early clash highlights the tensions brewing between Trump’s populist ideology and Musk’s Silicon Valley libertarianism, with potentially far-reaching consequences for the future of immigration policy and the broader MAGA coalition.