Elon Musk is now trying to patch up a gaping chasm in the MAGA world in a bid to survive intense blowback to his immigration position. After a whirlwind week where President-elect Donald Trump’s DOGE co-chief agreed with a post that called Americans too “retarded” to exclusively fill the U.

Donald Trump has backed Elon Musk in supporting visas for skilled migrants. The president-elect waded into a row that has split the Republican party by defending H1B visas, which permit highly-educated foreigners to work in the US for up to six years.

Less than a month before Donald Trump returns to office, two of his most ardent allies have plunged into a fierce online debate over immigration, specifically the government’s visa program that allows American companies to hire so-called “highly skilled” foreign workers.