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Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy defend high skilled immigrants as Sriram Krishnan controversy erupts
In defense of Krishnan, Tesla CEO Elon Musk emphasized the importance of attracting global talent to maintain America’s competitive edge.
Vivek Ramaswamy, Sriram Krishnan and Elon Musk / Image-X/ Wikipedia
Indian American entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan’s appointment as senior White House AI policy advisor under President-elect Donald Trump ignited a heated debate on social media between far-right activists of the populist MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement and those in favor of legal immigration.
The MAGA hardliners rejected Krishnan’s appointment accusing him of betraying the “America First” agenda by advocating for immigration reforms that would undermine American workers. Conservative commentator Laura Loomer criticized his support for removing country-specific caps on green cards, which she argues would prioritize foreign workers over American talent.
In defense of Krishnan, Tesla CEO Elon Musk emphasized the importance of attracting global talent to maintain America’s competitive edge. Musk, a close ally of Trump, addressed the issue on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “It comes down to this: do you want America to WIN or do you want America to LOSE? If you force the world’s best talent to play for the other side, America will LOSE. End of story.”
Your understanding of the situation is upside-down and backwards.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 25, 2024
OF COURSE my companies and I would prefer to hire Americans and we DO, as that is MUCH easier than going through the incredibly painful and slow work visa process.
HOWEVER, there is a dire shortage of extremely…
Musk elaborated on the critical shortage of skilled engineers in the U.S., particularly in sectors like artificial intelligence and semiconductors. He likened the situation to a sports team, arguing, “If you want your TEAM to win the championship, you need to recruit top talent wherever they may be. That enables the whole TEAM to win.”
Entrepreneur and political commentator Vivek Ramaswamy echoed Musk’s sentiments, taking to X to call for a cultural shift in the U.S. to prioritize excellence and achievement over mediocrity. In a detailed post, Ramaswamy argued that America’s cultural norms often undervalue academic and technical accomplishments, particularly in STEM fields. He wrote, “Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence for way too long. If we’re really serious about fixing the problem, we have to confront the truth.”
The reason top tech companies often hire foreign-born & first-generation engineers over “native” Americans isn’t because of an innate American IQ deficit (a lazy & wrong explanation). A key part of it comes down to the c-word: culture. Tough questions demand tough answers & if…
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 26, 2024
Ramaswamy further pointed to the hiring practices of top tech companies, attributing their preference for foreign-born engineers not to a talent deficit but to a culture that fails to foster high achievement. “This can be our Sputnik moment,” he wrote, advocating for a renewed focus on hard work, innovation, and technical education in the U.S.
The criticism of Krishnan has also reignited the broader debate over immigration policies and their impact on the U.S. economy. Krishnan’s supporters argue that his stance on green card caps aligns with a merit-based system that prioritizes talent and reduces wait times for skilled workers.
Musk dismissed the backlash against Krishnan as rooted in the “fixed pie” fallacy, asserting, “There is essentially infinite potential for job and company creation.” David Sacks, another industry leader working with Krishnan on AI policy, emphasized that immigration reforms targeting skilled workers would enhance U.S. competitiveness and innovation.
The controversy comes amid a reported shortfall of over 160,000 engineers in the U.S. semiconductor industry by 2032, alongside surging demand for AI experts. Industry leaders, including Musk, have called for expanding STEM education and streamlining immigration processes to address these challenges.
Krishnan, a Chennai-born tech executive, has yet to publicly address the criticism.
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