Former CNN host Don Lemon poked fun at the Republican party’s infighting over H-1B visas — a key program to attract international talent that’s been criticized as too complicated and susceptible to abuse — calling supporters of President-elect Trump “dumb f—ing idiots.”
Lemon, in a recent clip from “The Don Lemon Show,” railed against Trump backers, claiming they share a “stupid MAGA brain” and are in a sort of “cult.” He also joked that “MAGA-land” is in civil war.
“Oh my gosh, I love this. Now you’re finding out, you dumb f—ing idiots. Now you’re just figuring this s— out. You’re so f—ing stupid, and you deserve it,” he said, adding that it shows “hypocrisy.”
“Yes. I am gloating over your stupidity and how you were taken. I’m cracking. I’m cackling – I am,” he said later. “You have been co-opted because you’re in a f—ing cult and you don’t even realize it because you have stupid MAGA brain, and you don’t get it. How stupid and dumb are you?”
His comments come after key Trump allies, such as tech billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who were tapped to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), faced scrutiny from some in the GOP after expressing support for the special visa program.
Trump also backed H-1B visas during a phone interview with the New York Post over the weekend.
“I’ve always liked the visas, I have always been in favor of the visas,” Trump said Saturday. “That’s why we have them.”
The dispute, which was initially spearheaded by far-right activist Laura Loomer on the social platform X, seemingly originated from a suggestion last month from Sriram Krishnan, Trump’s pick for White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence, that Musk examine removing caps on green cards for skilled immigrants. Krishnan’s comments resurfaced after he was appointed by Trump to serve in his incoming administration.
Loomer falsely claimed Krishnan sought to remove all caps on H-1B visas — he called for a removal of country caps on green cards, a collective term for immigrant visas — though she later apologized for sharing Federal Election Commission records containing his personal information.
Trump’s former political strategist, Steve Bannon, also stormed into the debate, calling the entire program a “scam” run by Silicon Valley oligarchs, and inviting Loomer onto his “War Room” show to discuss the controversy.
Musk also faced accusations of censorship after several right-wing accounts on X, including Loomer’s, reportedly lost access to premium features including verification and monetization, according to NBC News.
The debate exposed a rift over immigration among allies of Trump, who has vowed to implement sweeping action when he takes office, like launching a massive deportation program targeting those in the country illegally and particularly those with criminal records. The incoming president has reinforced these plans by tapping several allies for key immigration-related roles.
Musk even suggested he would “go to war” over the issue.
“I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend,” Musk, reportedly a former H-1B recipient, wrote in one of several posts on X.
