Tesla CEO Elon Musk voiced his strong support for the H-1B visa program in a recent podcast interview, while also expressing concerns over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which he believes “distort” markets.
In a recent podcast interview with Indian entrepreneur Nikhil Kamath, Elon Musk shared his views on the H-1B visa program and the United States’ tariff policies under President Donald Trump’s administration. Musk, who formerly was a Trump ally, defended the H-1B visa program, stating that the U.S. has been a beneficiary of talent from India and that shutting down the program would be “very bad.”
Musk acknowledged that some American companies have misused the H-1B visa program by hiring foreign employees at a fraction of the cost of American citizens. However, he emphasized that his companies, including Tesla, recruit foreign talent to make up for the scarcity of skilled individuals in certain areas. “I’m certainly not in the school of thought that we should shut down the H-1B program,” Musk said, highlighting his deep love for H-1B workers over hiring Americans. Breitbart News previously reported that Tesla replaced laid-off Americans with lower-paid H-1B workers in 2024.
The topic of H-1B visa workers caused the first fractures in the relationship between Musk and the America First movement. Last December Breitbart News reported that Musk furiously lashed out at Trump supporters who criticized the H-1B program:
One X user on Friday stated, “Let’s optimize H1-B,” a reference to Musk’s belief that things that should not exist should not be optimized.
“The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B,” Musk raged in response to the X user. “Take a big step back and FUCK YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend.”
Musk’s comment is a paraphrase of a line from the 2008 comedy film Tropic Thunder.
Musk also expressed concerns over the Trump Administration’s tariff policy, stating that he had unsuccessfully tried to dissuade President Trump from taking the tariff route. “I think generally free trade is better,” Musk said, arguing that tariffs create distortions in markets. He questioned the logic behind imposing tariffs between countries, suggesting that if tariffs at an individual or state level would be disastrous for the economy, the same principle should apply to international trade.
Despite Musk’s efforts to influence policy, including his involvement in the now-disbanded Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he noted that “the president has made it clear he loves tariffs.” Trump has levied “reciprocal” tariffs on numerous countries, with several managing to strike deals with the U.S. to lower levies.
Looking to the future, Musk reiterated his vision of a world where working will be optional in less than 20 years and the concept of money will “disappear.” He emphasized that energy is the true currency, stating, “This is why I said bitcoin is based on energy. You can’t legislate energy.” This comment comes amid a sharp sell-off in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies over the past two months, as investor sentiment towards digital assets sours.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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