The Visa That Divided MAGA

It was two days before Christmas, and the internet’s MAGA world was descending into Civil War. It began when Donald Trump appointed Chennai-born Sriram Krishnan as his senior policy advisor for artificial intelligence. The selection of Krishnan, an advocate for removing country caps for green cards and other policies to promote skilled immigration to the U.S., sparked an unexpected firestorm. “Our country was built by white Europeans, actually. Not third world invaders from India,” political provocateur Laura Loomer wrote.

Hours later, DOGE co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy chimed in to justify the hiring of foreign talent because American culture, with its lack of grindset and embrace of mediocrity, doesn’t produce the “best engineers.” Ramaswamy’s vision? “More math tutoring, fewer sleepovers. More weekend science competitions, fewer Saturday morning cartoons. More books, less TV. More creating, less ‘chillin,’” he wrote.

Soon, the center of controversy wasn’t Krishnan or the optimal way to learn, but the H-1B visa program, no longer just a pipeline for tech talent but also a lightning rod for American identity. Critics say the program enables corporate exploitation at the expense of American workers, while supporters contend it’s vital for maintaining U.S. supremacy. But forget nuance. It didn’t take long for arguments to give way to plain racism.