Former Trump Aide Bannon Vows to Oust Musk from Incoming President’s Orbit, Escalating MAGA Infighting

Steve Bannon, a former top advisor to President-elect Donald Trump, has publicly declared his intention to prevent Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, from gaining influence within the incoming Trump administration, Al Jazeera reports.

Bannon’s comments highlight a growing rift within the MAGA (Make America Great Again) populist movement over issues like immigration and the role of foreign-born workers in the tech sector.

In an interview with an Italian newspaper, Corriere della Sera, Bannon stated that he has made it his “personal mission” to ensure Musk is treated “like any other person” and denied access to Trump’s White House. Bannon, whose remarks were republished by his former media outlet Breitbart News, described Musk as “a truly evil guy, a very bad guy.” He indicated a shift in his stance, stating he was previously willing to “tolerate” Musk due to his financial support, but now refuses to do so.

Bannon also attacked Musk’s South African origins, saying that he should “go back” to his place of birth. This statement came after Musk publicly defended the H-1B visa program, which allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialized occupations.

The conflict comes as divisions within Trump’s base have become increasingly visible, particularly over the role of foreign employees in Silicon Valley. These tensions intensified after Trump appointed Indian-American venture capitalist Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence, a move that was met with backlash from some far-right MAGA supporters who viewed it as an endorsement of the H-1B program.

Musk, who himself was an H-1B visa holder before becoming a U.S. citizen, vehemently defended foreign workers in the tech industry and promised to “go to war” on the issue. Despite previously working to restrict the H-1B program, Trump publicly sided with Musk, describing the visas as a “great programme.”

Bannon, who served as Trump’s White House chief strategist during his first term, accused Musk of lacking maturity, attempting to establish “techno-feudalism on a global scale,” and being solely focused on amassing wealth. He claimed Musk’s actions were detrimental to the American working class.

Musk, currently ranked as the world’s wealthiest person, had become a powerful ally of Trump after endorsing the Republican following an assassination attempt in July. Trump had included Musk in meetings with lawmakers and foreign leaders and tapped him to co-lead a Department of Government Efficiency.