Stephen King Shares Take on Elon Musk’s Immigration Views

Author Stephen King’s shared a take about billionaire Elon Musk’s immigration views, specifically on H-1B visas, which enables American employers to hire foreign workers in specialty occupations, on social media on Wednesday.

Newsweek has reached out to Musk via email for comment on Saturday afternoon.

Why It Matters

King, a prominent figure as a fiction author, has often taken to social media to voice his political views, often criticizing President-elect Donald Trump.

King’s most recent social media post comes as Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, two Trump allies who were tapped by the president-elect to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) when he returns to the White House this month, sparked the ire of some of Trump’s supporters by voicing support for H-1B visas.

Musk, a South African naturalized U.S. citizen who has been a financial backer of Trump’s in this year’s election cycle, has not only found himself at odds with MAGA supporters over H-1B visas, but has raised concerns as he has previously promoted conspiracy theories and fears about undocumented immigration.

What To Know

In a Wednesday post on the social media platform Bluesky, King critiqued Musk’s recent immigration views.

“Musk thinks it’s okay for ‘smart’ immigrants to hang around. The rest of you guys who wash dishes, drive trucks, cook meals…just get lost,” the author wrote.

The post on Bluesky, a relatively new social media platform which has seen many X, formerly Twitter, users move to the platform, has since garnered over 6,100 likes and over 660 reposts. Musk bought X in October 2022 for $44 billion.

King’s post comes as a rift over H-1B visas erupted after conservative activist Laura Loomer criticized Trump’s appointment of Indian-born entrepreneur Sriram Krishnan as his senior policy adviser on artificial intelligence (AI). On X, Loomer noted Krishnan had previously argued that the H-1B visa should be expanded, which she claimed was “in direct opposition” to the Trump agenda.

Musk, meanwhile, defended legal immigration in an X post in late December.

“The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back and F*** YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend,” he wrote.

Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, has benefited from the H-1B program personally and professionally. He first came to the United States on a J-1 academic visa that he says transitioned into an H-1B. Tesla is also among the companies to rely on the program, having hired 724 H-1B workers in 2023.

However, MAGA loyalists, like Loomer, believe Musk’s influence within Trump’s circle serves his own interests. On X, Loomer singled out Musk and his tech allies, including Box CEO Aaron Levie and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, alleging that the new DOGE initiative for government efficiency is just a cover for sending funds to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.

What People Are Saying

President-elect Donald Trump told the New York Post last month that he supports H-1B visas, “I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas. That’s why we have them,” Trump told the Post in a phone interview on Saturday. “I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I’ve been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It’s a great program.”

Kevin Lynn, executive director of The Institute for Sound Public Policy and founder of U.S. Tech Workers, “Elon Musk may hold significant influence over H-1B visa policy due to his close relationship with Donald Trump, giving him leverage in shaping immigration decisions. However, this political maneuver could prove costly for Trump, potentially tarnishing his legacy and alienating his base, which may view his stance as a betrayal.”

Senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who caucuses with Democrats, released a statement on X Thursday afternoon criticizing Musk’s perspective on the visa program.

“The main function of the H-1B visa program and other guest worker initiatives is not to hire ‘the best and the brightest,’ but rather to replace good-paying American jobs with low-wage indentured servants from abroad. The cheaper the labor they hire, the more money the billionaires make.”

Erin B. Corcoran, an associate teaching professor at the Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame, previously told Newsweek: “The incoming administration has made comments suggesting a significant tightening down on existing visa programs, including student visas and H-1B (high-skilled worker visas). These comments have created significant concern at institutions of higher education, particularly with international students and faculty who are here on student visas or H-1B visas.”

What Happens Next

The debate over H-1B visas and other immigration topics will be among the top priorities for Trump as he takes office later this month.

While Trump has been vocal about his plans for illegal immigration, he has previously talked about the prospects for legal immigration reform, suggesting that students who got an advanced degree deserved the opportunity of a green card.

“What I will do is, you graduate from a college, I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” Trump said in June.

The debate over H-1B visas may also play a role in determining how the Republican Party approaches the issue. It will also be a question for Democrats, as some in the party have argued it must reshape its approach to immigration issues following Vice President Kamala Harris’ defeat.