"He is truly a wicked person (davvero malvagia)." Steve Bannon, former White House chief strategist and once known as the old strategist of President-elect Donald Trump, fiercely criticized Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, who has risen as the 'First Buddy.' Bannon even declared that Musk would be kicked out of the White House before Trump's inauguration.
On the 12th (local time), according to the daily Guardian and others, Bannon recently stated in an interview with the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, "We will kick Musk out before (Trump's) inauguration," adding, "He will not have a blue pass that allows free access to the White House." He defined Musk as "a truly wicked person," saying, "Until now, I tried to tolerate him because he invested too much money in the Trump camp, but now I can no longer tolerate it."
In last year's presidential election, Musk, with his powerful financial resources, became the top contributor to Trump’s victory. Rising as a key figure in the next administration, Musk has recently been exerting comprehensive influence not only within the United States but also overseas. However, concerns and dissatisfaction among Trump’s close aides are growing increasingly intense during this process. In particular, recent disputes over the professional visa H-1B between Musk and the existing Trump-supporting hardline immigration faction have surfaced, further escalating these conflicts.
In this interview, Bannon also expressed his stance on the H-1B visa issue, saying, "The H-1B visa problem is that IT giants manipulate the entire immigration system. They use it for their own benefit." He raised his voice, stating, "76% of engineers working in Silicon Valley are not Americans. This is a core issue for reclaiming our jobs and economy. These are the best jobs, but (American) Black and Latino people cannot even access these jobs."
On the other hand, Musk, originally from South Africa and a former H-1B visa holder, is advocating for securing skilled foreign professionals, arguing that the U.S. lacks capable engineers. President-elect Trump, who is set to be inaugurated on the 20th, recently supported Musk, saying, "I have always liked that visa."
Bannon mentioned Musk along with venture capitalist Peter Thiel, known as part of the so-called 'PayPal Mafia,' and David Sacks, appointed as the crypto and artificial intelligence (AI) czar of the next administration, saying, "They are all white South Africans. He (Musk) should go back to South Africa. Why are we letting the most racist people in the world, white South Africans, meddle in American affairs?"
He also claimed that Musk only wants money and that his goal is to become a 'trillionaire.' Bannon criticized, "His maturity level is that of a young boy," adding, "Honestly, Trump’s close aides are tired of him. They have seen Musk’s peak, obstructive personality, and lack of understanding of issues." Furthermore, he asserted that Musk would do everything to protect the companies he runs or to benefit those companies, saying, "What he focuses on is the accumulation of his wealth and power through wealth. American workers will not tolerate this."
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