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Rep. Khanna backs Sriram Krishnan amid racist attacks following White House appointment
Members of the far-right accused Krishnan and other Indian professionals of "stealing jobs from Americans" and decried the H-1B visa program that facilitates the entry of high-skilled workers into the United States.
Rep. Khanna and Sriram Krishnan / Image- X (@RoKhanna/ @sriramk )
Indian-American tech executive Sriram Krishnan has been subjected to a barrage of racist attacks following his appointment as Senior White House Policy Advisor on Artificial Intelligence by President-elect Donald Trump.
The appointment, which underscores the growing importance of artificial intelligence in U.S. policy making, has ignited tensions between Silicon Valley’s tech community and far-right factions of the MAGA (Make America Great Again) movement.
Members of the far-right accused Krishnan and other Indian professionals of "stealing jobs from Americans" and decried the H-1B visa program that facilitates the entry of high-skilled workers into the United States.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) posted, "Did any of y'all vote for this Indian to run America?" Another criticized Krishnan by saying, "No matter what Sriram Krishnan says, he is INDIA First. Their only goal is to import more Indians to REPLACE American Workers."
You fools criticizing @sriramk as Indian born criticize Musk as South African born or Jensen as Taiwanese born. It is GREAT that talent around the world wants to come here, not to China, & that Sriram can rise to the highest levels. It's called American exceptionalism. https://t.co/KgrdCD9A67
— Ro Khanna (@RoKhanna) December 25, 2024
Despite the hostility, Krishnan has received significant support from prominent figures, including Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna and Silicon Valley entrepreneur David Sacks.
Khanna, a vocal advocate for immigration and diversity, addressed the criticism on X, drawing attention to the hypocrisy of such attacks. “You fools criticizing Sriram Krishnan as Indian-born criticize Musk as South African-born or Jensen [Huang] as Taiwanese-born. It is GREAT that talent around the world wants to come here, not to China, & that Sriram can rise to the highest levels. It’s called American exceptionalism,” Khanna posted.
David Sacks, a close ally of Krishnan and recently named “White House A.I. and Crypto Czar” by Trump, also defended his friend. “Sriram has been a U.S. citizen for a decade. He’s not ‘running America.’ He’s advising on A.I. policy. He will have no influence over U.S. immigration policy. These attacks have become crude, and not in the holiday spirit. I’m signing off now. Have a merry Christmas,” Sacks wrote on X.
Sriram has been a U.S. citizen for a decade. He’s not “running America.” He’s advising on A.I. policy. He will have no influence over U.S. immigration policy. These attacks have become crude, and not in the holiday spirit. I’m signing off now. Have a merry Christmas. https://t.co/H3Ro6JfiRF
— David Sacks (@DavidSacks) December 25, 2024
Krishnan’s appointment has reignited debates about the role of foreign-born professionals in shaping America’s technological future. The backlash highlights broader concerns about the future of U.S. immigration policy under Trump’s administration, particularly concerning high-skilled immigration programs.
Sriram Krishnan, who was born in Chennai, India, has built a notable career in Silicon Valley as an entrepreneur and technology leader.
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