Elon Musk’s DOGE Job Approval Less Than 40% In New Poll, Trailing Nearly 10 Points Behind Trump
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
A new Economist/YouGov poll found less than 40% approve of the job Elon Musk is doing with DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency), while President Donald Trump is enjoying more favorable numbers.
According to polling data released on Wednesday, 46% overall approve of Trump’s job performance during his first weeks back in the White House, while 48% disapprove. The numbers of course drastically change once broken down along party lines, with 90% of Republicans approving and just 7% of Democrats feeling the same.
Trump’s numbers were similar on another question about favorability, with 46% overall saying they have a favorable view of the president. Another 52% said they have an unfavorable view.
While those numbers are mixed, they are stronger than the results Musk pulled in on the survey. Just 38% said they approve of Musk’s job running DOGE as he seeks to find trillions in government spending cuts. Among those in approval, 24% said they “strongly approve” and 14% said they “somewhat approve.” Another 47% said they disapprove of Musk’s job performance. Among that 47%, 41% say they “strongly disapprove” while 6% only “somewhat disapprove.”
Less than 20% in the poll said they are “not sure” about Musk’s performance.
Among those who identify politically as independent, Musk’s approval drops to 31%, while nearly 50% disapprove. His approval among Democrats is just 9%, and that number skyrockets to 90% among those identifying as Republicans.
The survey also found more than 60% believe Musk has “a lot” of influence over Trump’s administration. Another 26% believe he at least as “a little” influence.
On the question of how much influence one “wants” Musk to have, 45% of respondents said they want him to have “none at all” and 26% said they want him to have “a little.” Just 18% said they want the billionaire to hold a lot of influence, and 11% said they are not sure.
Among Republicans, 43% agreed Musk should have “a little” influence, and 35% backed “a lot” of influence. Just 15% and 37% of Democrats and independents, respectively, want him to have any influence at all on the current administration.
The Economist/YouGov poll was conducted Feb. 9-11 through online surveys among 1595 respondents, more than 1400 of whom are registered to vote. The data carries a margin of error of approximately 3.4%.
