A MAGA civil war is breaking out - by Taylor Lorenz

The drama began on Thursday after a debate kicked off on Twitter about H-1B visas and America’s dependence on foreign tech workers, with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy on one side and scores of pro-Trump influencers, MAGA-loyalists and former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley on the other.

Musk got so heated over the issue that he promised to "go to war" over it and began removing blue check marks and monetization capabilities of MAGA accounts that were critical of his support for H-1B visas. A bunch of Musk’s critics were also unceremoniously suspended. While the debate might seem niche at first glance, it shows a crucial fracture emerging in the MAGA coalition.

Musk's role as one of the world’s richest men and owner of X has placed him in a uniquely influential position within Trump’s circle. He, along with fellow Silicon Valley magnate David Sacks, has been a die hard supporter of Trump. But Silicon Valley billionaires' tech-first agenda requires a steady supply of workers, and many of those essential tech workers are on H-1B visas, a type of visa that allows U.S. companies to temporarily employ foreign workers in fields like tech, engineering, or science

But Musk and the rest of Silicon Valley's vocal defense of H-1B visas, has set them on a collision course with MAGA’s most vocal influencers. Trump’s movement, built on promises of mass deportation, draconian immigration policies, and an “America First” stance, is finally being forced to grapple with the influence of tech billionaires whose priorities often run counter to their nationalist ethos.

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