According to a new poll, most Americans have negative opinions about tech billionaire Elon Musk, and are questioning his qualifications as key White House advisers are working on a federal overhaul.
CNN/SSRS SurveyIt was found that about 38% of respondents released Wednesday believe Musk, who has emerged as a key ally of President Trump, has experience and judgment “making changes to the government's structure.”
Conversely, 62% of respondents say that masks have no experience necessary for their role, while 61% doubt Tesla CEOs' decisions, including 28% who agree that federal change is necessary, according to polls.
Trump originally led the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) that tapped his mask to eliminate government waste, fraud and abuse. Doge has since taken away new leadership, but he is still supported by his leadership, according to the administration.
Previous controversial moves from Doge include mass shootings of federal workers, closure of foreign aid programs and freezes in funding.
When it comes to approval, only 35% of those surveyed said they had a positive opinion of Musk, compared to 53% who opposed. Another 11% said they had no opinion, the survey found.
Negative marks spanned most age, gender and racial demographics, except for white respondents who do not have university degrees.
The South African-born mask often appeared on the Trump side of the White House, including recent cabinet meetings and oval office events with reporters. He also frequently visited Mar-A-Lago, the president's private home and resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
During his November victory speech, Trump mentioned the political rise of Musk, a leading supporter of the 2024 campaign.
“We have a new star,” Trump said. “The Stars are Born – Elon!”
But, as the latest polls show, the public shares little of that vision.
Musk, who owns six businesses, including Tesla, SpaceX and Social Platform X, said in a Fox business interview Monday that it was “very difficult” and maintained business interest in the White House spotlight.
Over the weekend, Trump announced plans to personally buy Tesla vehicles as a show of support for mask companies amid a political blow to the billionaire's role in the administration's dramatic government overhaul.
“This guy dedicated his energy and his life to doing this, and I think he was treated unfairly,” Trump told reporters and a line of Tesla cars parked outside the White House while standing next to Musk.
Protesters destroyed Tesla's cars and the company's shares plummeted. It is suffering from the biggest decline in more than four years on Monday.
Musk, who had avoided most of the political world in the past, approved Trump's reelection bid in July after the president survived an obvious assassination attempt at a campaign rally. He said last month, “I'm going to do that anyway.”
New York Times cites anonymous sources of the administration, Reported on Tuesday Musk is planning to donate $100 million to a group that matches Trump's political campaign.
The latest CNN poll surveyed 1,206 US adults from March 6th to 9th, with an error balancing of 3.3 percentage points.
