Elon Musk’s Popularity Drops Amid Controversial Actions and Politics

Elon Musk is reportedly losing favor among the American public, according to the most recent polling data provided by Nate Silver’s Silver Bulletin. The billionaire, who has previously held top positions across various industries, this time the path has led him to become an infamous face in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, which aims to overhaul the U.S. government’s executive operations.

Elon Musk’s Popularity Declines in U.S. Amid Trump Support and DOGE Controversies, Polls Show Growing Disapproval

According to polling from Silver Bulletin, 53.5% of Americans now view Musk unfavorably, while just 39.6% have a favorable view of him. That’s a sharp rise in his unpopularity since earlier in 2024, when only 38% were negative toward him. Silver notes that his method of tracking Musk’s ratings is similar to his approach for tracking President Trump, though with “slightly more conservative settings” due to Musk being polled less frequently.

Increasing anti-Musk sentiment is mostly in relation to his backing of Trump’s second presidential campaign, such as through efforts paying voters to vote for Trump, as well as some of Musk’s controversial actions with DOGE. This has made Doge weave through widespread layoffs in federal agencies and go after sensitive data in the government, including IRS records, the U.S. Treasury’s payment system, and Social Security records.

Musk’s plummeting favorability has been extensively reported, with outlets including Fox News, Politico, and Axios noting growing public distaste for him. Well, that shift in public sentiment seems to have had electoral consequences, especially in Wisconsin. Musk’s attempts to boost a conservative Supreme Court nominee by deploying some of the same tactics he used in Trump’s campaign blew up in his face.

Poll: More than half of Wisconsin voters, per polls, said they disapprove of his involvement, and a third of voters said it made them less likely to vote for the conservative candidate. In the end, that Democrat-backed candidate, Susan Crawford, won by 10 points and preserved a liberal majority in the state’s highest court.

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