By MICHELLE L. PRICE WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — An online spat between factions of Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House. The rift laid bare the tensions between the newest flank of Trump’s movement — wealthy members of the tech world including billionaire Elon Musk and fellow entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and their call for more highly skilled workers in their industry — and people in Trump’s Make America Great Again base who championed his hardline immigration policies. The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer , a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration. Krishnan favors the ability to bring more skilled immigrants into the U.S. Loomer declared the stance to be “not America First policy” and said the tech executives who have aligned themselves with Trump were doing so to enrich themselves. Much of the debate played out on the social media network X, which Musk owns. Loomer’s comments sparked a back-and-forth with venture capitalist and former PayPal executive David Sacks , whom Trump has tapped to be the “White House A.I. & Crypto Czar.” Musk and Ramaswamy, whom Trump has tasked with finding ways to cut the federal government , weighed in, defending the tech industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. It bloomed into a larger debate with more figures from the hard-right weighing in about the need to hire U.S. workers, whether values in American culture can produce the best engineers, free speech on the internet, the newfound influence tech figures have in Trump’s world and what his political movement stands for. Trump has not yet weighed in on the rift, and his presidential transition team did not respond to a message seeking comment. Musk, the world’s richest man who has grown remarkably close to the president-elect , was a central figure in the debate, not only for his stature in Trump’s movement but his stance on the tech industry’s hiring of foreign workers. Technology companies say H-1B visas for skilled workers, used by software engineers and others in the tech industry, are critical for hard-to-fill positions. But critics have said they undercut U.S. citizens who could take those jobs. Some on the right have called for the program to be eliminated, not expanded. Born in South Africa, Musk was once on an a H-1B visa himself and defended the industry’s need to bring in foreign workers. “There is a permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent,” he said in a post. “It is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley.” Related Articles National Politics | Should the U.S. increase immigration levels for highly skilled workers? National Politics | Trump threat to immigrant health care tempered by economic hopes National Politics | In states that ban abortion, social safety net programs often fail families National Politics | Court rules Georgia lawmakers can subpoena Fani Willis for information related to her Trump case National Politics | New 2025 laws hit hot topics from AI in movies to rapid-fire guns Trump’s own positions over the years have reflected the divide in his movement. His tough immigration policies, including his pledge for a mass deportation, were central to his winning presidential campaign. He has focused on immigrants who come into the U.S. illegally but he has also sought curbs on legal immigration , including family-based visas. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump called the H-1B visa program “very bad” and “unfair” for U.S. workers. After he became president, Trump in 2017 issued a “Buy American and Hire American” executive order , which directed Cabinet members to suggest changes to ensure H-1B visas were awarded to the highest-paid or most-skilled applicants to protect American workers. Trump’s businesses, however, have hired foreign workers, including waiters and cooks at his Mar-a-Lago club , and his social media company behind his Truth Social app has used the the H-1B program for highly skilled workers. During his 2024 campaign for president, as he made immigration his signature issue, Trump said immigrants in the country illegally are “poisoning the blood of our country” and promised to carry out the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. But in a sharp departure from his usual alarmist message around immigration generally, Trump told a podcast this year that he wants to give automatic green cards to foreign students who graduate from U.S. colleges. “I think you should get automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country,” he told the “All-In” podcast with people from the venture capital and technology world. Those comments came on the cusp of Trump’s budding alliance with tech industry figures, but he did not make the idea a regular part of his campaign message or detail any plans to pursue such changes.People's financial services CEO sells $142,536 in stock
President-elect Donald Trump broke his silence by sending a cryptic message to Elon Musk, his biggest ally and tech billionaire on social media after the latter faced the MAGA wrath over his comments on foreign work visas. Tesla and Space X CEO, Musk has been instrumental in Trump's win for a second term at the White House, an issue that has been brought up by Democrats and critics to criticize his influence in American politics. Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, both selected to head the ambitious Department of Government Efficiency, faced online backlash from MAGA netizens after they advocated for more H-1B worker visas for skilled foreign-born workers. Trump's unexpected reaction to Sean Hannity and Ainsley Earhardt's engagement Russia warns of Washington's 'extremely hostile' nuclear stance pre-Trump term However, Trump made a cryptic post on Truth Social at 8:47 a.m. on Friday, appearing to ask Musk about his plans to come to Mar-a-Lago, Trump's estate in Florida . "Where are you? When are you coming to the “Center of the Universe,” Mar-a-Lago," Trump asked in the post. He went on to tell Musk that his billionaire rival Bill Gates has requested to drop by for a visit Friday night. Trump then told Musk that he misses him and his son. "We miss you and x! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!!" he said, before adding his signature initials of "DJT." Musk has been a fixture in Mar-a-Lago since before the elections according to sources, often appearing in Trump's family photos with his children and grandchildren. He was, however, missing from the Trump family's Christmas celebrations. He posted a photo of himself dressed up like Santa Claus, calling himself "Ozempic Santa," revealing the use of Mounjaro, an Ozempic-like weight loss drug. DON'T MISS: Tiffany Trump confirms pregnancy with two words and sweet baby bump photo [NEW] Video resurfaces of Donald Trump asking child if she 'still believes in Santa' [STRANGE] Denmark increased defense budget after Trump's Greenland plan — 'No coincidence' [EXCLUSIVE] Musk and Trump were last seen together at the Army-Navy football game on Dec. 14 in Maryland. Musk has been accused of leveraging his social media presence to almost cause a government shutdown recently. Trump's fiercest critics have pointed out that Musk seems to be running the show. However, at a recent conservative talk show hosted by Turning Points USA, Trump allayed such fears, saying that Musk would not be president due to his nationality. "No, he's not going to be president, that I can tell you," he said, adding, "And I'm safe. You know why he can't be? He wasn't born in this country." Musk, who is originally from South Africa, recently engaged in a deluge of social media debates about why it is essential to hire tech workers with H-1B visas to further the growth of the tech industry. "The number of people who are super talented engineers AND super motivated in the USA is far too low," he wrote, saying that there could be a "dire shortage of extremely talented and motivated engineers in America." He was backed by DOGE co-lead, Ramaswamy, an Indian American tech entrepreneur, who also faced the MAGA wrath and was termed a "conman." In 2016, Trump had a different stance on H-1B but his new views during a second term remain unknown. "I know the H1-B very well, it's something I use and I shouldn't be allowed to, we shouldn't have it. Very very bad for workers... it's very bad for our workers and very unfair for our workers and we should end it," he had said in 2016.MORGANTOWN, WV. — Somewhere deep in West Virginia’s hollers under a cold, dismal gray sky, UCF ’s season ended. Sure, the Knights have one game remaining against Utah next week, but any hope of salvaging something positive from the unbelievably frustrating season quietly ended in a 31-21 loss to West Virginia. UCF’s slim hopes of making a postseason bowl were squashed after the Mountaineers rushed for more than 200 yards. This means the program is guaranteed to finish with a losing record for the second consecutive year and snap a streak of eight straight bowl appearances. Running back RJ Harvey , the only bright spot in an otherwise horrendous season, finished with a team-high 130 yards and two touchdowns. His two-yard touchdown run out of a Wildcat formation with 8:37 in the second quarter got the Knights their first game points. Quarterback Dylan Rizk struggled early in his third start of the season, missing his first two throws and later fumbling a handoff between himself and running back Myles Montgomery that ended with West Virginia’s Dontez Fagan recovering, ending a possible scoring opportunity. The Mountaineers (6-6, 5-3 Big 12) showcased why they are one of the top rushing teams in the Big 12, gashing the Knights for more than 7 yards per carry. CJ Donaldson Jr. had 71 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown that started the scoring for WVU. West Virginia added a second score when sophomore running back Jahiem White plowed in for a 3-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 14-0 with 1:47 in the first quarter. Harvey’s touchdown sliced the lead in half with 8:37 left in the second quarter. But WVU put together a 12-play drive, capped off by a Garrett Greene pass to receiver Rodney Gallagher III for an over-the-shoulder grab for a 12-yard touchdown catch with 15 seconds left in the half. It was the Knights’ fourth straight game in which they surrendered points in the final minute of the first half. West Virginia took the opening kick in the second half and drove 55 yards before Donaldson busted through the line for his second touchdown to push the advantage to 28-7 with 12:10 left in the third. UCF (4-7, 2-6 Big 12) cut the lead to 28-14 midway through the third when Rizk double-pumped and found a wide-open Kobe Hudson for a 45-yard touchdown. It was Rizk’s fifth touchdown of the season and the fourth score of the season for Hudson. Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.comXCEL BRANDS, INC. Receives NASDAQ notice regarding late Form 10-Q filing
Brandin Cooks has been antsy about getting back on the field. He’ll probably get his chance on Thursday. The Dallas Cowboys officially activated the wide receiver from the injured list on Wednesday, and he’s expected to play when the Cowboys host the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day. Cooks has missed the past seven games after an infection developed in his knee following a procedure. He hasn’t played since the Cowboys’ 20-15 Week 4 win against ... the Giants. Since then, he has gone two months without playing in a game. The Cowboys (4-7) are a very different looking team compared when Cooks last played in a game. Their 34-26 win over the Washington Commanders last week snapped a five-game losing streak and kept their barely flickering playoff hopes alive. Cooks, 31, will be catching passes from someone other than Dak Prescott on Thursday. Cooper Rush will start in his fourth consecutive game after Prescott had season-ending hamstring surgery earlier this month. Cooks was off to a very slow start in 2024, with nine catches for 91 yards and a touchdown in the first four games. The 11-year veteran, who has posted at least 1,000 receiving yards in six seasons, will be a free agent after the season. He needs to have a strong finish to create a solid market for himself in the offseason.
Conor McGregor’s longtime fiancée, Dee Devlin, issued her first public statements Wednesday since the former two-division UFC champion was in a Dublin hotel in 2018. In a series of messages posted on her Instagram stories, Devlin, the mother of McGregor’s four children, defended McGregor and aggressively attacked the character and credibility of Hand. “Imagine a WOMAN, with her own boyfriend and child, texting provocative pictures of herself to another woman’s man with a family and child on the way. This woman claims to know me, yet still went ahead and sent messages and pictures of herself over and over to my man? Really? Whilst on a 3 day bender, texting excuses to her own child at home where mammy is on a Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, Sunday afternoon, Sunday night into Monday morning. All the while out of her face in a hotel room, dancing around a hotel carpark. What sort of WOMAN are you!!! “My sons will be warned women like you exist in the world. “CCTV DOES NOT LIE. I look forward [to] the day the world will see the footage on that night and the carry on of you. Not a bother on you having the time of your life. This is the real evidence, video footage no one knew was being taken in the moment which you miraculously don’t remember? To me it looks like you’re the one sexually assaulting in the lift. To me it looks like everybody is trying to get away from you. “Conor and I dealt with these issues privately many years ago, as should be done in a relationship and we have come out stronger than ever. We have four beautiful children now whose smiling faces and happy hearts are a testament to who he is and who we are! "They without sin cast the first stone" Devlin, McGregor's partner since prior to the fighter's rise as a UFC star, additionally posted a similar statement on Instagram alongside a photo of the couple and two of their children. My man and I have created a beautiful life together. I love him I trust him and I BELIEVE HIM! Our four beautiful children whose smiling faces and happy hearts are testimony to the man he is and who we are! No one is entitled to comment on our relationship- we trust one another and love one another Nothing or nobody will change that Our family stands strong! As a result of the sexual assault verdict in Hand's civil case, McGregor, 36, has been ordered to pay Hand a total of €248,603.60 ($261,246.63) in damages. Multiple retail giants in the United Kingdom and Ireland on Tuesday , and Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey — the alcohol brand founded by the fighter — announced that it no longer intends to use McGregor's name or likeness in its marketing. remains offline as of this writing. On Monday, , removing content featuring the former UFC champion from its video game "Hitman: World of Assassination." A solidarity march for Hand took place Monday in Dublin's city center. Following a slew of furious and largely vulgar posts on social media attacking the verdict, McGregor issued a statement Tuesday confirming that he intends to appeal the decision. People want to hear from me, I needed time. I know I made mistakes. Six years ago, I should have never responded to her outreaches. I should have shut the party down. I should never have stepped out on the woman I love the most in the world. That’s all on me. As much as I... — Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) McGregor has not competed in the UFC since a July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier, during which he suffered a broken leg. UFC has yet to comment on McGregor being found liable for sexual assault.