Musk’s upheaval, coupled with granting DOGE staffers unprecedented access to Americans’ sensitive data, appears to have gone too far. Is the DOGE honeymoon over?. When asked whether respondents approved or disapproved of the job that Musk is doing within the federal government, a net 34 percent approve compared to 49 that disapprove.
The poll, carried out on February 13 – 18, found that 52 percent disapprove of Musk shutting down federal programs that he deems unnecessary, compared to 26 who approve. Concern was high when respondents were asked specifically about the access Musk’s team had been given to some federal government databases containing information on Social Security, Medicare and taxes. The poll found that 63 percent are concerned by this compared to 34 percent who said they are not.
Several recent polls have also found that more Americans disapprove of Musk, the world’s richest man, and the power he wields. He has been working at the behest of President Donald Trump as the two work to slash the federal budget. One of their main ways to find savings is to reduce the federal workforce, though the hasty nature has led to mistakes and concerns about what groups Musk is terminating.
The White House has contended that Musk is not legally in charge of DOGE, despite the president’s constant praise for Musk’s work. The polls follow a weekend where Musk unleashed confusion with a blanket email sent to federal employees asking for a response about their weekly accomplishments or risk termination.
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