The majority of Americans are not fans of Elon Musk, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead his new initiative to slash federal spending—the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—according to a poll released Thursday.
About half of respondents have an unfavorable opinion of Musk (52 percent) a poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found, while just over a third (36 percent) have a favorable opinion.
Just 3 in 10 Americans strongly or somewhat approve of the president’s creation of his new efficiency drive the poll found.
Musk, the world’s richest person, has a crucial role in Trump’s second term in the White House. He is head of the cost-cutting department, which aims to slash wasteful spending and overhaul the federal government.
In October, Musk claimed he could slash the federal budget by “at least $2 trillion” by eradicating “waste”. The figure is about 30 percent of total annual federal government spending.
The poll found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults have a negative view on Trump’s reliance on billionaires or family members for advice on government policy, while one in 10 say it’s a very or somewhat good thing, and about 3 in 10 are neutral.
The survey was conducted before DOGE co-captain Vivek Ramaswamy announced his departure from the department.
Musk, CEO of SpaceX, is also reported to be unpopular among some of Trump’s staff after he publicly criticized a $500 billion Trump-backed project led by OpenAI and other tech tycoons, a day after it was announced.
“It’s clear he has abused the proximity to the president,” a Trump ally said, Politico reported. “The problem is the president doesn’t have any leverage over him and Elon gives zero f***s.”
The Times of London reported Friday that some long-term Trump staff resent how quickly Musk ascended in the president’s ranks, given that the billionaire declared his support for him just last summer.
Susie Wiles, Trump’s chief of staff, blocked Musk from having a permanent office in the White House’s West Wing, much to the relief of other staffers, the newspaper said.
