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Elon Musk getting 'more unpopular,' WSJ poll reveals majority of Americans are over him
Despite his role in Trump's inner circle and overseeing DOGE, Musk's popularity is waning. A recent poll shows he's becoming more unpopular with the public.
Elon Musk’s popularity is on the decline, according to a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) poll, which shows that the billionaire Tesla CEO is becoming more unpopular among Americans. As Musk takes on a new role leading the Department of Government Efficiency under former President Donald Trump, his favourability rating has dropped, with a majority of the public now disapproving of him.
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Musk's declining favourability
According to Mediaite, a WSJ poll published last week shows that only 40% of the public view Musk favourably, while a majority of 51% disapprove of him. This marks a decline from October when his favourability and unfavourability ratings were evenly split at 45% each. The poll was conducted ahead of Trump's inauguration, between January 9th and 14th, with 750 registered voters participating.
The poll was conducted via telephone and text-to-web among 750 registered voters, with a margin of error of ±2.5%.
Musk going ‘strong’ inside Trump's circle
Despite the falling approval numbers, the Tesla owner continues to be a key ally in Trump's inner circle. Appointed by Trump to oversee government efficiency, his new job involves eliminating wasteful spending and ensuring taxpayer money is used more responsibly.
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He reportedly advocated for certain individuals to be included in Trump's 2.0 cabinet, which not only raised eyebrows but also created discord within the group. Musk has also maintained a prominent presence after Trump's November election victory, attending meetings at Mar-a-Lago and speaking during Trump's inauguration ceremony.
The Space X CEO is also highly unpopular in Britain, where a recent YouGov poll shows a net approval rating of minus 51. The poll reveals that 71% of Britons hold negative views of Musk, while only 20% view him positively.
This comes amid Musk’s efforts to push for a new general election in the U.K. and his controversial remarks linking Prime Minister Keir Starmer to a past child abuse scandal.
