US President Joe Biden has criticized Elon Musk for hypocrisy on immigration after reports emerged that the Tesla CEO worked illegally in the United States.
Biden’s comments came during a campaign event in Pittsburgh, where he stated, “That wealthiest man in the world became an illegal worker here. No, I’m serious. He was supposed to be in school when he came on a student visa. He wasn’t in school. He was violating the law. And he’s talking about all these illegals coming our way?”
The Washington Post reported that Musk arrived in Palo Alto, California in 1995 on a student visa to attend Stanford University but never enrolled in classes. Instead, he focused on building his startup, Zip2.
Musk denies the allegations, claiming on X, “I was in fact allowed to work in the US” and labeling President Biden a “puppet” who is “lying”.
However, investors in Zip2 were reportedly concerned about Musk’s immigration status and gave him a deadline to obtain a work visa.
Additionally, a 2005 email from Musk to his Tesla co-founders acknowledged that he didn’t have authorization to be in the US when he started Zip2. This email was submitted as evidence in a now-closed California defamation lawsuit.
Musk’s immigration history has raised eyebrows, particularly given his support for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his stance on immigration. As the world’s richest man, Musk has committed over $70 million to help Trump and other GOP candidates win in the upcoming elections.
Recall that President Biden has vowed to prioritize immigration reform and address the issues surrounding undocumented immigrants.
