Sanders Slams Musk Over H-1B Visa Program: ‘Elon Musk is Wrong’

Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has voiced sharp criticism of Elon Musk’s defense of the H-1B visa program, a contentious issue that has sparked a divide among President-elect Donald Trump’s staunchest supporters.

Sanders, a long-time advocate for raising wages and protecting American workers, took issue with Musk’s praise of the program, claiming it disproportionately benefits the wealthiest at the expense of middle-class and working-class Americans.

“Elon Musk is wrong,” Sanders declared in a statement released Thursday, which he shared on Musk’s social media platform, X (formerly Twitter).

The self-identified Democratic socialist did not mince words, asserting that the H-1B visa program is less about attracting top-tier global talent and more about enabling corporations to replace well-paid American jobs with cheaper labor from abroad.

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

Musk, alongside President-elect Trump, has defended the program, arguing it addresses a critical shortage of highly skilled American workers in technical fields.

Advocates of the H-1B visa program, particularly in the technology industry, maintain that it helps businesses grow by providing access to global talent that might be scarce domestically. However, critics, including Sanders, argue that the system is exploited to suppress wages and displace American workers.

Sanders targeted Musk’s own practices, citing Tesla, the billionaire entrepreneur’s flagship company, as an example of how the H-1B visa program can harm American workers.

“If there is really a shortage of skilled tech workers in America, why did Tesla lay off over 7,500 American workers this year — including many software developers and engineers at its factory in Austin, Texas — while being approved to employ thousands of H-1B guest workers?” Sanders questioned.

The senator’s remarks come amid rising tensions over the H-1B program, which has drawn criticism from some of Trump’s working-class supporters.

Many in this demographic view the program as undermining American jobs, echoing Sanders’s assertion that it prioritizes corporate profits over workers’ livelihoods.

Sanders also used the moment to reignite his push for a federal minimum wage increase. The current federal minimum wage has been stagnant at $7.25 per hour for over a decade, a point Sanders highlighted as emblematic of broader systemic issues.

“Bottom line,” Sanders concluded, “It should never be cheaper for a corporation to hire a guest worker from overseas than an American worker.”

The senator’s critique of Musk and the H-1B visa program underscores a broader debate about the future of work in America.

As the country grapples with shifting economic dynamics, the tension between globalization and domestic job security remains a flashpoint, particularly in industries heavily reliant on foreign talent.