Washington: Donald Trump entered the fray on Saturday in a heated debate splitting his core supporters and tech moguls like Elon Musk, media reports said.

He forwarded his support for a specialised visa program designed to facilitate the entry of highly skilled workers into the United States.

"I've always liked the (H1-B) visas, I have always been in favour of the visas, that's why we have them" at Trump-owned facilities, the president-elect told the New York Post in his first public comments on the matter since it flared up this week.

A heated dispute has erupted between Silicon Valley figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s traditional anti-immigration supporters over the H1-B visa program, with Musk even declaring he would "go to war" over the issue.

Trump's hardline stance on immigration, pivotal to his election victory over President Joe Biden, includes promises to deport all undocumented immigrants and restrict legal immigration.

However, tech leaders like Tesla CEO Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who with Musk is set to co-chair a government cost-cutting panel under Trump, argue that the United States lacks sufficient highly skilled graduates and passionately advocate for the H1-B program.

Musk, who immigrated from South Africa on an H1-B visa, stated on his platform X that attracting elite engineering talent from abroad is "essential for America to keep winning."

Adding fuel to the controversy, Ramaswamy, the son of Indian immigrants, criticised what he termed an "American culture" that celebrates mediocrity, warning that the United States risks being overtaken by China.

This statement provoked outrage among Trump’s long-time conservative backers, some of whom expressed frustration with Musk’s late but substantial support for Trump, including a $250 million contribution to his campaign this year.

"Looking forward to the inevitable divorce between President Trump and Big Tech," said Laura Loomer, a far-right MAGA figure known for her conspiracy theories, who often flew with Trump on his campaign plane.

"We have to protect President Trump from the technocrats."

She and others argued that Trump should prioritise American workers and further tighten immigration policies.

'MAGA Civil War' erupts over H1-B debate

Elon Musk, who recently angered some Republicans by leading an online campaign that derailed a bipartisan budget deal, intensified the controversy by warning of a "MAGA civil war." Posting on X, the social media platform he owns, Musk bluntly responded to critics, declaring, "I will go to war on this issue."

His comments provoked a sharp backlash from Trump strategist Steve Bannon, who criticised the H1-B visa program on Gettr, describing it as a system that imports "indentured servants" who work for less than American citizens. In a pointed attack, Bannon referred to Musk as a "toddler," despite the Tesla CEO's close ties to Trump.

Concerns over Trump's shift toward tech donors

Some of Trump's earliest supporters worry that wealthy tech donors like Musk are influencing him, potentially moving away from his core campaign promises.

Whether Trump's latest comments will ease the growing internal rift within the Republican Party remains uncertain. The debate highlights the complexities of immigration reform and the challenges it could pose once Trump assumes office in January.