President Joe Biden has criticized Elon Musk for what he called hypocrisy on immigration following a report alleging that the billionaire entrepreneur once worked illegally in the United States.
The claim was reported by The Washington Post and was strongly denied by the Tesla CEO.
Musk is the world’s richest person and has emerged as one of the most prominent Trump donors in the 2024 election.
Biden Accuses Musk of Hypocrisy
Speaking at a campaign stop in Pittsburgh on Saturday, Biden accused South Africa-born Musk of violating immigration laws in his early career while on a student visa.
SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk awarded Kristine Fishell with a $1 million check during the town hall at the Roxain Theater on Oct. 20, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. President Joe Biden accused Elon Musk of hypocrisy on immigration after a report that Musk once worked illegally in the United States.
Michael Swensen/Getty Images
“That wealthiest man in the world turned out to be an illegal worker here. No, I’m serious,” Biden remarked at a union hall event.
“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?”
Musk Worked on Student Visa: Report
According to The Washington Post, Musk arrived in Palo Alto, California, in 1995 to attend Stanford University but never officially enrolled in classes.
Instead, the report states the South African-born entrepreneur focused on launching his startup, Zip2.
Citing internal company documents, court records, and accounts from former business partners, the report suggests that Musk was not authorized to work in the U.S. at the time.
In response to a video clip of Biden’s remarks circulating on social media, Musk took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to refute the claim, stating, “I was in fact allowed to work in the US.”
He added, “The Biden puppet is lying.”
The report said that Zip2 investors in the mid-1990s where concerned about Musk’s potential deportation risk, and set a deadline for Musk to secure a work visa.
The investigation cited a 2005 email from Musk to his Tesla cofounders in which he was said to have acknowledged his lack of legal work authorization.
This email was introduced as evidence in a now-settled defamation lawsuit in California.
The Associated Press reached out for comment from X and Tesla regarding Biden’s remarks.
Musk’s Support for Trump
Musk has contributed over $70 million to support former President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign and other GOP candidates.
Trump has publicly pledged to offer Musk a significant role within his administration if he secures victory next month.
Musk is leading an initiative that involves awarding a $1 million prize daily to an individual who signed an online petition supporting the First and Second Amendments.
The petition is targeting registered voters in pivotal swing states including Pennsylvania, Georgia, Nevada, Arizona, Michigan, Wisconsin and North Carolina.
Petition signatories also currently receive a $47 payment for each registered voter they refer with $100 payments for registered voters in Pennsylvania.
The district attorney of Philadelphia on Monday filed a lawsuit to halt Elon Musk‘s plan.
District Attorney of Philadelphia Larry Krasner called the daily giveaway plan from Musk’s America PAC an “illegal lottery.”
The lawsuit follows a warning from the U.S. Department of Justice that the sweepstakes might violate federal election law.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
