The rift between President-elect Trump’s Silicon Valley allies and his staunch MAGA base widened this week as former White House adviser Steve Bannon directed sharp criticism at tech billionaire Elon Musk. On his “War Room” podcast, Bannon told Musk to “sit in the back and study” before attempting to steer the Republican Party’s direction.
Bannon’s remarks came amid an escalating debate over H-1B visas for highly skilled foreign workers, an issue that has put Musk and other Silicon Valley conservatives at odds with Trump’s anti-immigration base. “We love converts,” Bannon said, referring to Musk and others who recently aligned with Trump. “But the converts sit in the back and study for years and years… Don’t come up and go to the pulpit in your first week here and start lecturing people about the way things are going to be. If you’re going to do that, we’re going to rip your face off.”
Musk, once a political outsider, has emerged as a key Trump ally after contributing $250 million to Trump’s 2024 campaign. He was appointed to co-chair the newly established Department of Government Efficiency alongside biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. However, Musk’s advocacy for expanding skilled immigration has sparked fierce backlash from far-right activists like Laura Loomer, who labeled his stance and the appointment of AI policy adviser Sriram Krishnan as “deeply disturbing.”
Krishnan’s past comments supporting the removal of green card per-country caps have added fuel to the fire. Loomer and others argue that such policies undermine Trump’s America First agenda. Musk, in turn, defended Krishnan and lashed out at his critics, calling them “contemptible fools” who “must be removed from the Republican Party, root and stem.”
The clash has drawn sharp lines within Trump’s coalition, highlighting the tensions between traditional MAGA priorities and the Silicon Valley conservatives pushing for economic modernization. Bannon’s pointed remarks underscore the skepticism with which Trump’s old guard views these newcomers. “They need to understand the nuances of the faith,” Bannon said, signaling that Silicon Valley’s influence will not go unchecked.
Meanwhile, the feud between Loomer and Musk has taken a personal turn. Loomer accused Musk of retaliating by revoking her verification on X, the social media platform he owns. She described Musk as a “Stage 5 clinger” during an appearance on Bannon’s podcast.
With immigration and technology policy looming as pivotal issues for Trump’s second term, this internal GOP battle is unlikely to resolve itself quietly. The question remains whether Trump can reconcile these warring factions or if they will fracture his coalition.