"Dire shortage": Elon Musk sparks MAGA backlash after calling for more immigrant workers [View all]

[Mr. Sparkle]

The Tesla CEO argues the U.S. needs to court top talent after financing the loudest anti-immigration run in decades

Billionaire Tesla and X owner Elon Musk, President-elect Donald Trump's chief financier, on Wednesday sparked MAGA backlash after defending visas for foreign tech workers. South African-born Elon Musk was once an immigrant to the U.S., illegally overstaying his visa to build a future here. He employs hundreds of foreign-born engineers at his Tesla and SpaceX companies and says they fill a shortage of American-born workers.

Musk called a shortage of “excellent engineering talent” a “fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley” in a Wednesday tweet, arguing that immigrant labor is an essential ingredient in American innovation and warning of a "dire shortage of extremely talented and motivated engineers in America."

“If you force the world’s best talent to play for the other side, America will LOSE. End of story,” Musk replied to critics. But his plea for more immigrant talent has triggered some of Trump's right-wing supporters.

more ... https://www.salon.com/2024/12/26/dire-shortage-elon-musk-sparks-maga-backlash-after-calling-for-more-workers/