6 in 10 say Musk lacks experience, judgment to change government: Survey
Most Americans have a negative opinion of tech billionaire Elon Musk and question his qualifications as the key White House adviser works to overhaul the federal government, according to a new poll.
The CNN/SSRS survey, published Wednesday, found about 38 percent of respondents believe Musk, who has emerged as a key ally for President Trump, has the experience and judgement to "make changes to the way government works."
On the opposite side, 62 percent of respondents said Musk lacks the experience needed for the role, and 61 percent doubt the Tesla CEO's judgment, including 28 percent who agree that changes in the federal government are needed, according to the poll.
Trump originally tapped Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which seeks to weed out government waste, fraud and abuse. DOGE has since taken on new leadership, according to the administration, but is still supported by his guidance.
DOGE's controversial moves thus far have included mass firings of federal workers, the shuttering of foreign aid programs and funding freezes, among other sweeping actions.
When it comes to approval, just 35 percent of those surveyed said they have a favorable opinion of Musk, compared to 53 percent who said the opposite. Another 11 percent said they had no opinion, the survey found.
The negative marks spanned most age, gender and race demographics, except white respondents without college degrees, who were split evenly on the question, the data shows.
Musk, who was born in South Africa, has often appeared at Trump’s side at the White House, including during a recent Cabinet meeting and an Oval Office event with reporters. He's also frequented Mar-a-Lago, the president’s private home and resort in Palm Beach, Fla.
Trump remarked on the political rise of Musk, who was a major backer of his 2024 campaign, during his victory speech in November.
“We have a new star,” Trump said. “A star is born — Elon!”
But, as the latest poll indicates, the public largely hasn't shared that vision.
Musk, who owns six businesses — including Tesla, SpaceX and the social platform X — said during a Fox Business interview on Monday that he’s maintaining his business interests "with great difficulty" amid the White House spotlight.
Trump announced plans over the weekend to personally buy a Tesla vehicle as a show of support for Musk’s companies amid political blowback over the billionaire's role in the administration’s dramatic government overhaul.
“This man has devoted his energy and his life to doing this, and I think he has been treated unfairly,” Trump told reporters while standing next to Musk and a row of Tesla vehicles parked outside the White House, including a bright red Model S Plaid sport sedan that Trump picked to purchase.
Protesters have vandalized Tesla automobiles, and the company’s stock has plummeted — suffering its largest drop in more than four years on Monday.
Musk, who had largely shied away from the political world in the past, endorsed Trump’s reelection bid in July after the president survived an apparent assassination attempt at a campaign rally. He said last month that while the shooting "sped" up his support, he was "going to do it anyway."
The New York Times, citing anonymous sources in the administration, reported Tuesday that Musk plans to contribute $100 million to groups aligned with Trump’s political operation.
The latest CNN poll surveyed 1,206 U.S. adults from March 6-9, and it has a margin of error of 3.3 percentage points.
Topics
-
Elon Musk's politics are hurting Tesla, 85% say in investor survey
More than eight out of every 10 respondents to a Morgan Stanley survey believe Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s controversial political activities are hurting his business.NBC News - 3h -
Trump Administration Sends Politically Charged Survey to Researchers
Scientists on overseas projects must say whether they work with communist governments and help combat “Christian persecution.”The New York Times - 4d -
More say Zelensky was not disrespectful to Trump in Oval Office: Survey
More Americans than not say Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wasn’t disrespectful to President Trump during their contentious Oval Office meeting late last month, according to a poll. The ...The Hill - 4h -
Hamas offering 5-to-10-year truce with Israel: US official says
Hamas offered to hand over governance of the Gaza Strip in exchange for a five-to-10-year truce in its war with Israel, President Trump’s special envoy for hostage negotiations said on Sunday. Adam ...The Hill - 2d -
56 percent disapprove of Trump handling of economy: Survey
More than half of the respondents in a recent survey say they disapprove of President Trump’s handle on the economy. The CNN poll, released Wednesday, found that 56 percent of respondents ...The Hill - 7h -
DOGE chief Elon Musk says he's running businesses 'with great difficulty' as Tesla shares tank
The Tesla CEO Musk said he expected to realize $1 trillion in government savings for the Trump administration as part of the DOGE project.CNBC - 1d -
Trump calls Tesla boycott 'illegal' and says he's buying one to support Elon Musk
Trump called Musk, the controversial leader of Tesla and a new government efficiency initiative, a "truly great American."CNBC - 1d -
Musk says DOGE is in almost every federal agency and plans to double staff
Trump adviser and tech billionaire Elon Musk said Monday that he plans to double the size of his staff in the Department of Government Efficiency, which he noted is already working inside nearly ...NBC News - 1d -
New Battlefield 6 Gameplay Footage Reveals Two Big Changes
EA and DICE recently conducted the first public test for Battlefield 6 , and while participants were prohibited from sharing their gameplay footage online, the participants shared their gameplay ...GameSpot - 2d -
How a Government Shutdown Would Help Elon Musk
On this special episode of Uncanny Valley, we unpack Elon Musk's desire for a government shutdown that could become permanent. Plus: An update on measles misinformation in the US.Wired - 3h -
Elon Musk Has Wanted the Government Shutdown
Sources tell WIRED that Elon Musk has wanted a government shutdown in part because it would potentially make it easier to eliminate the jobs of hundreds of thousands of federal workers.Wired - 1d -
Hungary's government targets LGBTQ community, dual citizens in proposed constitutional changes
Hungary’s governing party has proposed constitutional changes that could mean a ban on an annual march celebrating the LGBTQ community and the expulsion of citizens with dual citizenship if they ...NBC News - 1h -
Senate Democrats leery of blocking GOP bill fear shutdown politics have changed
Senate Democrats are leery of blocking a House Republican-drafted six-month government funding bill, fearing that a government shutdown may backfire on them politically by giving Elon Musk and the ...The Hill - 1d -
Musk Doesn’t Understand Why Government Matters
If a business fails, it’s not a big deal. When government services break down, people can die.The New York Times - 4d -
New report calls into question Musk and Trump’s government-fraud claims
It’s yet another setback for Elon Musk’s claim of a $1 trillion “DOGE dividend.”MarketWatch - 4h -
OPM Watchdog Says Review of DOGE Work Is Underway
The acting inspector general says the Office of Personnel Management is investigating whether any “emerging threats” have arisen as Elon Musk’s DOGE works to rapidly transform government systems.Wired - 1d -
Nissan's chief executive steps down, insider with Mexico experience gets tapped
Japanese automaker Nissan says its chief executive, Makoto Uchida, is stepping downABC News - 20h -
'Underperforming' Man Utd can 'change Ratcliffe's mind'
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim says "underperforming" squad can change Sir Jim Ratcliffe's opinion.BBC News - 5h -
Many life-saving drugs fail for lack of funding. But there’s a solution: desperate rich people
Each year, hundreds of potentially world-changing treatments are discarded because scientists run out of cash. But where big pharma or altruists fear to tread, my friend and I have a solution. It’s ...The Guardian - 1d -
What Does a Shutdown Have to Do With the Budget or Elon Musk? Here’s a Guide.
A short-term spending bill, a 10-year budget plan and Musk’s cost-cutting team are all progressing at once.The New York Times - 23h -
No DOGE, No Deal: A Battle Over Elon Musk’s Team Risks a Government Shutdown
The government is headed toward a shutdown unless a deal is reached by March 14. And disagreements over DOGE may be the biggest roadblock.Inc. - 4d -
Myanmar's military leader announces dates for general election
State-run media in Myanmar say the head of the military government has declared the country will hold a general election within 10 monthsABC News - 4d -
Farmers are struggling in Europe — don’t let RFK Jr. do the same to America
Americans love to cite Europe for policy experiments, but not everything that happens on the old continent should be treated as secret knowledge which Americans lack.The Hill - 4d -
Multiple outages at X caused by ‘massive cyberattack,’ Musk says
Scale of attack suggests role of a country or "coordinated group," Musk said.ABC News - 2d -
Tesla investor survey shows 85% believe Elon Musk's politics are having 'negative' or 'extremely negative' impact on company
The poll is the latest sign of mounting frustration with the billionaire entrepreneur as he's become a rising politic figure.CNBC - 5h -
The Philippine government says ex-President Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested at Manila airport
The Philippine government says ex-President Rodrigo Duterte has been arrested at Manila airportABC News - 1d -
House votes to avoid government shutdown by passing temporary spending bill
The House of Representatives has passed a short-term funding bill to avert a government shutdown. The stopgap bill funds the government until Sept. 30. The measure increases defense spending by $6 ...CBS News - 22h -
LinkedIn co-founder has known Elon Musk for years. Here’s what he says Americans don’t understand about the Tesla CEO.
Elon Musk takes a hammer-and-nail approach to everything, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman says.MarketWatch - 1d -
Elon Musk says "massive cyberattack" is causing outages at X
Elon Musk's social media site X wasn't working for thousands of users on Monday, with the billionaire claiming a cyberattack.CBS News - 2d -
What Elon Musk’s Suit Says About Trump and Power
When Elon Musk puts on a nice suit, it has a way of looking like a demotion.The New York Times - 1d -
Greenland votes for change but coalition talks will govern how it reacts to Trump | Miranda Bryant
The tone of relations with the US may depend on whether second-placed Naleraq ends up inside the government. It was an election that was fought on the global stage with sporadic commentary from ...The Guardian - 2h -
UK helped Ukraine and US reach ceasefire deal, government sources say
Sir Keir Starmer led European efforts to mend Trump-Zelensky relationship, UK government sources tell the BBC.BBC News - 10h -
Federal judge orders Doge to release internal records for transparency
Musk said social media posts were sufficient documentation for agency that is changing face of government. US politics live – latest updates A federal judge has ruled that Elon Mus k’s ...The Guardian - 1d -
Senate Republican says Musk ‘does not have the power to fire people’
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said Sunday that tech billionaire Elon Musk “does not have the power to fire people.” "Elon Musk does not have the power to fire people. The president of the United States ...The Hill - 3d -
Trump says he’s buying ‘brand new’ Tesla to support Musk
President Trump said he would be buying a “brand new” Tesla to support his senior adviser Elon Musk, as the stock market shows shares of the electric car company tumbling. “To Republicans, ...The Hill - 1d -
Sen. Mark Kelly says Elon Musk is "not a serious guy"
Elon Musk called Sen. Mark Kelly a "traitor" after the Arizona Democrat posted on X about his recent trip to Ukraine.CBS News - 1d -
Germany can spend almost €2tn without harming growth, economists say
FT survey finds ‘large fiscal capacity’, but economists urge would-be chancellor Friedrich Merz to spend funds wiselyFinancial Times - 2d -
In Trump’s Shadow, Greenland Votes for a New Government
President Trump has expressed a desire to “get” Greenland, but the victorious party is in no rush to change the status quo.The New York Times - 7h -
Musk outlines DOGE work in rare TV interview
Tech billionaire Elon Musk offered new details about the work of President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on Monday, while doubling down on the group’s efforts amid mounting ...The Hill - 1d
More from The Hill
-
Judge temporarily blocks parts of Trump order targeting Perkins Coie
A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily froze parts of President Trump’s executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie, which claims its past work for Democrats made it a subject of ...The Hill - 51m -
What is the immigration law being cited in Mahmoud Khalil’s federal deportation case?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has initiated removal efforts for Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist, by citing Section 237(a)(4)(C)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which ...The Hill - 52m -
US puts Putin in hot seat with Ukraine ceasefire proposal
The United States has for the first time shifted the pressure to Russia in President Trump’s push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, after securing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s support for a ...The Hill - 1h -
Watch live: NASA launches SpaceX mission to return Boeing Starliner crew from space station
NASA and SpaceX will launch the Crew-10 mission to retrieve astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station on Wednesday evening. Williams and Wilmore, part of last ...The Hill - 1h -
Warren calls on Oz to sever financial ties to health care, pharmaceutical companies
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has written a letter to Mehmet Oz, asking him to make a series of commitments to avoid conflicts of interests ahead of his confirmation hearing Friday to lead the ...The Hill - 1h
More in Politics
-
'A lot of fear': Speaker Johnson's constituents react to potential cuts to Medicaid, food stamps
NBC News Capitol Hill Correspondent Melanie Zanona reports from Vinton, Louisiana, on how Speaker Mike Johnson’s constituents are reacting to potential cuts to Medicaid and food stamps. NBC News ...NBC News - 24m -
Trump downplays recession fears as Canada hits U.S. with retaliatory tariffs
NBC News Correspondents Aaron Gilchrist, Gabe Gutierrez and Brian Cheung and Elise Labott of the Council of Foreign Relations join Meet the Press NOW to discuss the escalating trade war between the ...NBC News - 45m -
Judge temporarily blocks parts of Trump order targeting Perkins Coie
A federal judge on Wednesday temporarily froze parts of President Trump’s executive order targeting the law firm Perkins Coie, which claims its past work for Democrats made it a subject of ...The Hill - 51m -
What is the immigration law being cited in Mahmoud Khalil’s federal deportation case?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has initiated removal efforts for Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian activist, by citing Section 237(a)(4)(C)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), which ...The Hill - 52m -
US puts Putin in hot seat with Ukraine ceasefire proposal
The United States has for the first time shifted the pressure to Russia in President Trump’s push for a ceasefire in Ukraine, after securing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s support for a ...The Hill - 1h