Steve Bannon, former senior advisor to Donald Trump, has once again attacked Elon Musk, calling him “racist” and “truly evil.” Bannon further stated that he would ensure Musk is removed from Trump’s inner circle before the president-elect’s inauguration next week.
Tensions within Trump’s MAGA circle escalated on January 12 after Bannon criticized Musk’s support for the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. employers to hire foreign workers in specialized fields. Bannon, who served as Trump’s chief strategist before being dismissed in 2017, called Musk a “truly evil person” and declared that reducing his influence on the incoming president had become a personal mission.
“I will get Elon Musk kicked out by the time he’s inaugurated,” Bannon told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. “He won’t have a blue pass with full access to the White House. He’ll be like everyone else.”
Bannon explained that while he had previously tolerated Musk’s presence due to his financial contributions, he no longer would. “Stopping him has become a personal issue for me,” he added.
Musk, who has been a frequent ally of Trump and a major donor to his campaign, is set to lead the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, alongside Vivek Ramaswamy. Musk reportedly spent over $270 million to help reelect Trump, much of it through his super PAC, America PAC.
Bannon, a strong critic of immigration, particularly the H-1B visa program, claims that it takes jobs away from American workers. He argued that Musk, a South African-born billionaire who once held an H-1B visa himself, is using the program to benefit his companies by hiring skilled foreign workers.
Bannon also criticized Musk and other South African-born tech moguls, David Sachs and Peter Thiel, suggesting they should return to South Africa. “Why do we have white South Africans, the most racist people in the world, commenting on everything that happens in the United States?” he remarked.
