Lemon on MAGA H-1B visa infighting: 'I love this'

Former CNN host Don Lemon poked fun at the Republican party's infighting over H-1B visas, a key program to attract international talent that’s been criticized as too complicated and susceptible to abuse.

"There is this fight going on in MAGA-land. It is a MAGA civil war," Lemon said, adding, "I love this."

Tech billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who President-elect Trump tapped to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), faced scrutiny from some in the GOP after the two signaled their support for the visa program.

Trump also backed the visas during a phone interview with the New York Post over the weekend.

“I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas," Trump said Saturday. "That’s why we have them."

The dispute, which was initially spearheaded by far-right activist Laura Loomer on the social platform X, seemingly originated from a suggestion last month from Sriram Krishnan, Trump’s pick for White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence, that Musk examine removing caps on green cards for skilled immigrants. Krishnan’s comments resurfaced after he was appointed by Trump to serve in his incoming administration.

Loomer falsely claimed Krishnan sought to remove all caps on H-1B visas — he called for a removal of country caps on green cards, a collective term for immigrant visas — though she later apologized for sharing Federal Election Commission records containing his personal information.

Musk also faced accusations of censorship after several right-wing accounts on X, including Loomer’s, reportedly lost access to premium features including verification and monetization, according to NBC News.

The debate exposed a rift over immigration among allies of Trump, who has vowed to implement sweeping action when he takes office, like launching a massive deportation program targeting those in the country illegally and particularly those with criminal records. The incoming president has reinforced these plans by tapping several allies for key immigration-related roles.

Musk even suggested he would "go to war" over the issue.

“I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend,” Musk, reportedly a former H-1B recipient, wrote in one of several posts on X.