Former President Donald Trump has proposed a controversial "gold card" visa system, which would allow foreigners to purchase a visa for $5 million. This visa would grant "green card privileges plus," offering a pathway to U.S. citizenship. Trump revealed this concept during his first cabinet meeting, an event attended by tech mogul Elon Musk.
Musk defended the idea, suggesting it was a way to "own up to mistakes." He humorously described the Doge team as "humble tech support," highlighting their role in tech innovation. However, the proposal did not sit well with everyone, drawing criticism and mockery from late-night hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.
"As commander in chief, Trump made it immediately clear who is in charge: Elon Musk" – Colbert
Comedians have taken aim at the plan with sharp wit. Kimmel likened the visa system to a customer rewards program at an Atlantic City casino, while Colbert compared it to a subscription service you can cancel after seven days. Their jabs did not stop there, as Trump's suggestion to sell visas to Russian oligarchs, whom he described as "very nice people," further fueled their satire.
"Let me tell you something: he may know oligarchs, but not as well as they know him" – Kimmel
Trump's meeting became fodder for more jokes when he provided a rambling and incoherent answer about the visa system. Colbert humorously remarked that the response was reminiscent of circumcision because "somebody really should have cut that dickhead off."
"That long, rambling response actually reminds me of circumcision, because somebody really should have cut that dickhead off" – Colbert
Musk had his own moment of levity amidst the controversy, acknowledging that the Doge team "accidentally" canceled USAid's Ebola prevention program, but assured it was restored immediately. This admission prompted Kimmel to quip about the error in vivid terms.
"He only canceled our Ebola prevention for a couple of days, calm down, everybody" – Kimmel
Colbert didn't miss an opportunity to parody Musk’s management style, jokingly suggesting a tech support approach:
"Yes, you’re computer’s frozen? Have you tried turning it off and then firing 4,000 people with an email" – Colbert
Critics like Kimmel have characterized Trump's visa proposal as "disquieting," while also jesting about Trump's penchant for making everything seem unsavory.
"Just ask the doctor – ‘As soon as I realized I unplugged my mother’s life support to charge my iPhone, I immediately plugged it back in’" – Kimmel