Elon Musk has said he will “go to war” with Maga Republicans over visas for skilled migrants.

The Tesla billionaire, chosen by Donald Trump to be co-head of his new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has infuriated anti-immigration elements of the Republican Party by defending the H-1B visa, which permits highly educated foreigners to work in the US for up to six years.

Mr Musk responded to the backlash from the Make America Great Again (Maga) faction by vowing to kick out “hateful, unrepentant racists” from the Republican Party.

At least 14 conservative holders of accounts on Mr Musk’s social media platform X claimed that it had since revoked their blue verification badge, removing access to monetisation through subscriptions and advertising revenue.

“Take a big step back and F--- YOURSELF in the face. I will go to war on this issue the likes of which you cannot possibly comprehend,” Mr Musk wrote on X.

The row marks the first major split within the coalition brought together by Mr Trump, who united anti-immigration voters and the so-called “Tech Right” to propel him to victory in November.