Elon Musk Approval Rating Hits 41%: Voters Not Impressed With DOGE Work And Calls To Eliminate Departments

Elon Musk, who leads the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, isn't drawing high approval ratings in a new poll.

What Happened: According to a new Emerson College poll of voters in February, President Donald Trump lost support from January.

The same poll asked voters their thoughts on Musk, who Trump put in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency.

The poll asked: "Do you approve or disapprove of the job Elon Musk is doing at the Department of Government Efficiency?"

The results were:

• Approve: 41%
• Disapprove: 45%
• Neutral: 14%

The poll found Musk to have a lower approval rating than Trump (48%) and a higher disapproval rating (42%). This suggests that voters don't approve of Musk's role at DOGE or the new department overall.

Voters also showed minimal support for the DOGE and the Trump administration’s plans to eliminate the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of Education.

The poll found that 44% of voters opposed the decision to eliminate the USAID with 36% supporting the decision and 20% unsure. Fifty-eight percent of voters oppose the elimination of the Department of Education, with 30% supporting the department's elimination.

"Support for eliminating the Department of Education is found among Republicans, at 53%, while Democrats and independents strongly oppose it at 82% and 59%," Emerson College Polling executive director Spencer Kimball said.

Similarly, Kimball said eliminating USAID is popular among Republicans at 62% of support. However, eliminating it was opposed by 68% and 45% of Democrats and Independents, respectively.

Read Also: Marjorie Taylor Greene Discloses New Stock Trades: Is Palantir Purchase Conflict Of Interest For Committee Assignments?

Why It's Important: Given Musk's increasingly elevated role within the Trump administration, he may find himself the subject of more approval polls related to his political endeavors.

The big question for investors will be how Musk's approval rating translates to the companies he runs.

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:TSLA) took a hit to its brand value in a Brand Finance survey in 2024. The company lost $15 billion in brand value and dropped 18 places in the rankings to 36^th.

The electric vehicle company has been the subject of calls for boycotts in European nations due to Musk's political beliefs. Sales of Tesla vehicles have fallen in regions like Germany and other parts of Europe.

In the U.S., Tesla sales declined overall in 2024 and California saw a double-digit decline to start the 2025 year in January.

Musk's approval rating as a CEO and as a politician are likely two different things, but for investors and Tesla shareholders, the hope is that they can stay separate and not translate to overall disapproval of Musk as a person and leader.

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