...
By Alia Shoaib
Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Elon Musk could be "pulling Trump down," as polls show his popularity among the American population is plummeting, according to CNN analyst Harry Enten.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and Musk's companies, Tesla, SpaceX and X, for comment via email on Wednesday.
Why It Matters
Musk has emerged as a prominent player in President Donald Trump's second administration, being a visible presence at his rallies and inauguration. He has also been given a key role in spearheading the proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Read More on Politics
His sinking popularity could negatively affect Trump, who has already entered office with a weak approval rating.
What To Know
Enten said Tuesday on Erin Burnett OutFront that Musk's net favorability rating in January had dropped to -13 points. This was down from -3 points before the election and a sharp fall from his +29 rating in 2016.
An Associated Press-NORC poll published last week found that 52 percent of respondents had an unfavorable opinion of him, compared with 36 percent with a favorable opinion. This marks a decline from a 10-point negative rating the previous month.
Other polls show similar trends, with a Wall Street Journal poll last week finding that Trump was more unpopular than any of his Cabinet nominees listed. Forty percent of respondents said they viewed Trump favorably compared with 51 percent who viewed the president unfavorably.
...
Sixty percent of respondents to that poll said that they believed it was a bad idea for a president to rely on billionaires for policy advice.
However, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that Musk still enjoys widespread support among Republicans, with 75 percent of Republican respondents saying they viewed him favorably compared to 90 percent of Democrats viewing him unfavorably.
While Musk has unfavorable ratings among the general public, the same poll showed that 61 percent of U.S. adults support Trump's plan to downsize the federal government, which he aims to do through the Musk-led DOGE.
Musk is known to be an outspoken figure. He has already had open or rumored tensions with others in the MAGA orbit, including far-right activist Laura Loomer and his former DOGE co-head, Vivek Ramaswamy.
He also generated controversy after making a gesture at the inauguration, which some suggested looked like a Nazi salute.
Musk has weighed in on international affairs and made provocative comments about politics in Germany and the United Kingdom—the latter of which Trump has publicly expressed opposing views.
The billionaire has already publicly bashed Stargate, the Trump administration's first major tech initiative.
While Trump and Musk remain close allies, time will tell whether their strong personalities and Musk's declining popularity will strain their relationship.
What People Are Saying
Harry Enten, Tuesday on CNN: "Donald Trump is a more popular guy than Elon Musk is, that's the bottom line. Again, you look at that net favorable rating, you see Donald Trump hanging right around that zero mark. You see Elon Musk there with a -13. If anything, Musk is pulling Trump down."
What Happens Next
Musk will continue to lead the advisory panel, DOGE. Musk initially promised that the department would cut $2 trillion in wasteful government spending, although he recently tempered that and said it could be $1 trillion.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines