Martina Navratilova calls Elon Musk 'a d*ck' after $460 billion-worth Tech Mogul goes on NSFW rant in H1B visa controversy

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova took a sharp jab at tech mogul Elon Musk. Reacting to the tech billionaire’s inflammatory language during a contentious debate over the H-1B visa program, Navratilova shared her unfiltered thoughts.

In late December 2024, the H-1B visa program, a hot-button issue in U.S. immigration policy, became the focal point of a social media storm involving Musk and supporters of President-elect Donald Trump.

This program, essential for tech companies recruiting highly skilled foreign workers, has been lauded for fostering innovation but criticized for allegedly displacing American workers and driving down wages.

As part of budget discussions, Trump tasked Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy with identifying significant cuts to federal expenditures. Musk, whose companies Tesla and SpaceX have heavily benefited from the H-1B visa program, defended it vehemently.

The controversy reached a boiling point when Musk engaged in a heated exchange with Steven Mackey, a Trump supporter, on X (formerly Twitter). Mackey criticized the H-1B program, suggesting it needed optimization or elimination.

In response, Musk defended the program with strong language, telling Mackey to "take a big step back and F**K YOURSELF in the face" and vowing to "go to war" on the issue.

"The reason I’m in America along with so many critical people who built SpaceX, Tesla and hundreds of other companies that made America strong is because of H1B. Take a big step back and F**K YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend," Musk wrote.

On December 28, 2024, Martina Navratilova took to X to react to Musk's NSFW tweet, writing:

"He is just such a d*ck.."

Amidst the debate, President-elect Donald Trump publicly supported Musk's position, stating in an interview with The New York Post that he has always favored the H-1B program and has used it in his properties.

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Martina Navratilova responds to Elon Musk's critique of US engineering talent

Martina Navratilova during the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards press conference (Image source: Getty)

Martina Navratilova responded to an online debate after Elon Musk admitted he couldn’t prioritize hiring Americans for his companies due to a "dire shortage" of qualified candidates.

During the aforementioned discussion, Musk claimed a lack of "excellent engineering talent" in the U.S. under a post questioning American engineers. When asked why he sought talent abroad despite the country’s 330 million population, Musk cited a shortage of "extremely talented and motivated" professionals.

"Your understanding of the situation is upside-down and backwards. OF COURSE my companies and I would prefer to hire Americans and we DO, ss that is MUCH easier than going through the incredibly painful and slow work visa process. HOWEVER, there is a dire shortage of extremely talented and motivated engineers in America," Musk tweeted.

A user shared Musk’s tweet, joking about the irony of the billionaire who was instrumental in Donald Trump’s victory and criticizing Americans. The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion responded to the post, writing:

"Hmm."

Martina Navratilova has a history of criticizing Elon Musk, particularly over his management of X. She has previously accused Musk of stifling free speech on the platform and criticized his support for President-elect Trump.