Elon Musk getting 'more unpopular,' WSJ poll reveals majority of American are over him

Elon Musk getting ‘more unpopular,’ WSJ poll reveals majority of American are over him

Posted by author January 23, 2025 World

Jan 23, 2025 07:40 AM IST

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.

Elon Musk gestures as he speaks during the inaugural parade inside Capitol One Arena, in Washington, DC, on January 20, 2025. Musk’s hand gestures at an inauguration event for US President Donald Trump quickly drew comparisons to Nazi salutes.(AFP)

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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.