WASHINGTON (AP) — Tech billionaire Elon Musk has lost some of his luster with Republicans since his messy public falling-out with President Donald Trump last week, a new survey finds.
Fewer Republicans view Trump’s onetime government efficiency bulldog “very favorably” compared with April, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Though most Republicans continue to hold a positive view of Musk, their diminished fervor suggests his vocal opposition to Trump’s signature spending and tax cut legislation — and Musk’s subsequent online political and personal taunts — may have cost him some enthusiasm within the party.
“Some things have happened lately that have changed how I feel about him a little,” said Alabama Republican Katye Long, whose feelings for Musk have cooled to “somewhat favorable.”
“I liked what he was doing when he was helping. But now I feel like he’s kind of hurting,” said the 34-year-old automotive component factory employee and mother of three from Woodstock, Alabama. “I also don’t feel like he matters that much. He’s not actually part of the government. He’s just a rich guy who pushes his opinions.”
Musk’s overall popularity hasn’t shifted, the poll found, and most of the shift among Democrats and Republicans was between “very” and “somewhat” strong opinions. Americans are less likely to view him favorably than his electric vehicle company, Tesla. That said, about half of Americans have a negative opinion of Tesla, highlighting another challenge for Musk when the company has dropped in value and been the target of protests in the U.S. and Europe. About one-third have a favorable view of Tesla, while about 2 in 10 don’t know enough to say.
Even a subtle shift in the intensity of Republicans’ feelings about Musk could be important as the electric car and aerospace mogul weighs a second political act after spending about $200 million in service of Trump’s 2024 election effort.
After decrying the GOP’s massive tax and budget policy bill as “a disgusting abomination,” Musk wrote on X, his social media platform, “In November next year, we fire all politicians who betrayed the American people.”
