Elon Musk has caused a new split in the right wing of American politics by supporting the H-1B visa program, which allows American companies to hire foreign professionals. His comment, which echoes the claim that Americans are not smart enough to work in the IT sector, has drawn sharp criticism from the nationalist right, who oppose immigration.
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Among those who criticized Musk were former Trump supporters such as Laura Loomer and Owen Shroyer. As a result, several accounts, including Loomer, Shroyer and Gavin Wax, as well as the account of the political committee ConservativeOG, lost verification on the X platform (Twitter). The loss of verification could lead to reduced revenue for these users, who were making money from paid subscribers. The removal of verification is likely related to their association with the organization ConservativeOG, which also lost its status. Loomer is currently blocked on Twitter for falsely accusing a Trump adviser.
In addition to the immigration controversy, Musk has made changes to the X algorithm that de-rank posts from users who are blocked by verified accounts. This change has also caused discontent among the right. As a result, the conflict between Musk and right-wing nationalists has escalated, and Musk's attempts to distance himself from the controversy appear to have been unsuccessful.