From Mars to minus: Elon Musk's approval ratings plummet in Donald Trump's 100-day shadow, finds poll

Elon Musk's approval rating among Americans is low, with a major chunk of them disapproving of his performance in the Donald Trump administration.

Sudeshna Ghoshal
Updated28 Apr 2025, 04:47 PM IST
From Mars to minus: Elon Musk's approval ratings plummet in Donald Trump's 100-day shadow, finds poll
From Mars to minus: Elon Musk's approval ratings plummet in Donald Trump's 100-day shadow, finds poll(AFP)

Not just Donald Trump, but the US President's DOGE major-domo Elon Musk's approval rating by Americans, also looks very glum.

As Donald Trump is set to complete 100 days in office, 57 percent of Americans said they disapprove of Elon Musk's performance for the Trump administration, as per polls by several media outlets including ABC News, Ipsos, Washington Post, others.

Also Read | Global news wrap: 100 days of Trump, monetary polices, Pope’s passing

Meanwhile, 35 percent of US citizens approved of the Mars mission leader's performance as part of Trump administration 2.0.

Why is Elon Musk's approval rating low?

Angst against Trump's federal cuts; layoffs, spearheaded by Elon Musk; shutting down of the Education Department are major factors behind the Tesla boss's negative ratings as per the ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released ahead of Donald Trump' 100 days completion at his office.

Trump going too far in federal cuts?

As per the latest polls, 56 per cent of the respondents said they think Donald Trump is going too far in laying off federal workers, an effort led by Elon Musk, and around 57 per cent shared they think Trump is going too far in closing federal agencies.

Also Read | Trump wants Putin to ‘stop shooting’ and ‘sign the deal’ to end Ukraine war

Among people who think the layoffs are going too far, Musk has a dismal 6%-89% rating, approve-disapprove. That compares with 72%-16% among those who say the level of layoffs is about right or has not gone far enough, reported ABC News.

Ratings against shutting of Education Department

As per the ABC/Ipsos/ Washington poll, sixty-six percent of respondents opposed closing the Department of Education, and 77% are against reducing federal funding for medical research. Those who oppose such cuts also tend to have a negative view of Musk’s efforts.

Also Read | Global tariff war, DOGE: How Trump shocked world in first 100 days

Opinions about Musk’s work are also linked to perceptions of waste within the federal government. Forty-three percent of respondents believe waste has decreased since Trump took office, and Musk has a 67%-26% approval rating among this group, reported ABC News.

Donald Trump's approval rating ‘horrible’?

According to a CNN poll, Donald Trump received an approval rating of 41% — the lowest for any newly elected president at the 100-day mark — dating back at least to Dwight Eisenhower. This rating is even lower than Trump's approval at the same point in his first term.

CNN’s chief data analyst, Harry Enten, was blunt in his analysis: “These numbers are just horrible, there’s no way to sugarcoat it.”

Key Takeaways
  • Public opinion on government actions can significantly influence individual approval ratings.
  • Federal cuts and layoffs have a direct impact on perceptions of leadership effectiveness.
  • Approval ratings often reflect broader sentiments about policies rather than individual actions alone.

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