Reconciliation Signs Between Trump and Musk
The ongoing tensions between President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, the world’s richest person, seem to be easing, hinting at a possible reconciliation.
Recent polling indicates that the establishment of the Office of Government Efficiency (DOGE) may have affected Musk’s popularity among Republicans, especially following his role as a special White House advisor during the initial months of Trump’s second term.
A Quinnipiac University National Poll released on Wednesday revealed that 62% of Republicans currently have a favorable view of Musk, the billionaire behind Tesla and SpaceX. That’s a notable drop from March, where 78% held a positive opinion of him. Interestingly, among all voters, 30% have a favorable view of Musk, while 57% see him unfavorably. His positive ratings decreased by six points since the last survey, with unfavorable views remaining more constant.
Trump Open to Reconciliation
Trump has expressed a willingness to mend fences with Musk. The two had a complicated relationship, especially after Musk endorsed Trump right after an assassination attempt against him in Pennsylvania last summer.
Musk later described his previous social media posts criticizing Trump as having “gone too far.” In terms of financial support, Musk has emerged as a significant donor for the 2024 election cycle, contributing nearly $300 million through a super PAC closely associated with Trump.
After the November election, Trump appointed Musk to head DOGE and frequently praised him throughout his tenure. Nevertheless, following his departure from the White House, Musk made headlines by criticizing Trump’s spending initiatives, labeling them “nasty and hateful.” He also suggested that Trump’s electoral success was dependent on Musk’s backing.
On social media, Musk took accountability for his posts from the previous week regarding Trump. He acknowledged that they were excessive and stated, “I won’t blame him at all,” according to a podcast interview Trump gave on Wednesday. However, when asked about Musk’s apology, Trump responded that he hadn’t thought much of it.
During his time at DOGE, Musk aimed to cut $2 trillion from the federal budget but, according to latest polls, didn’t accomplish this goal. The Quinnipiac survey showed that 38% of voters rated Musk’s performance as good or very good, while 57% rated it poorly. Notably, 80% of Republicans viewed his performance favorably, with only 13% rating it poorly.
According to Tim Malloy, an analyst from Quinnipiac University, while Musk’s popularity among Republicans has declined, he still receives solid support from a majority of them.
The poll was conducted between June 5th and 9th, surveying 1,265 registered voters across the country. It carries a sampling error of plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.
