Elon Musk emerges as a fresh challenge for Donald Trump
The billionaire's approach of rapidly implementing changes and taking risks is encountering significant backlash from the public.
TroibNews 
Democrats are beginning to formulate a strategy to reclaim the working-class vote by turning the world's richest individual into their adversary: Elon Musk.
They plan to hold Musk accountable, backed by new polling indicating that his popularity is plummeting. Key Democratic leaders are targeting the prominent Trump adviser, who is actively unraveling the federal government. They are pursuing subpoenas and proposing legislation aimed at preventing him from securing federal contracts while he serves in a "special" role in Trump’s cost-cutting initiatives.
This indicates how detrimental Democrats perceive Musk to be; battleground Rep. Jared Golden referred to Musk as an “unelected, weirdo billionaire” and noted he has “been getting a lot of calls over the past few days” regarding him. Golden, considered a moderate, represents a Trump-supporting area.
Additionally, Rep. Ro Khanna, who has had a longstanding connection with Musk in his Silicon Valley district, is also distancing himself. On Wednesday, Khanna stated on X that Musk’s “attacks on our institutions are unconstitutional.” He had previously compared Musk to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “dollar-a-year men,” corporate leaders who supported the government’s World War II mobilization, and mentioned that he often texts with him.
In Washington, Democrats are also protesting against Musk, believing that the image of an unelected billionaire disrupting the bureaucracy will resonate unfavorably with voters. Their efforts are bolstered by new data.
Recent internal polling conducted for House Majority Forward, a nonprofit linked to House Democratic leadership, revealed that Musk is viewed negatively by 1,000 registered voters in battleground districts. Only 43 percent expressed approval, while 51 percent held an unfavorable view. This poll, conducted by the Democratic firm Impact Research between January 19 and 25, also indicated that Musk inspires significant negative feelings; of those who disapproved, 43 percent did so strongly.
This trend is confirmed by further polling, as an Economist/YouGov poll released on Wednesday noted Musk’s approval rating is also below water, with 43 percent favorable and 49 percent unfavorable.
In the Democrats' internal polling, respondents were asked about their views on “the creation of a government of the rich for the rich by appointing up to nine different billionaires to the administration,” and 70 percent opposed it while only 19 percent supported it—a finding suggesting that Democrats may have identified a message that resonates with swing voters.
This data, along with focus groups conducted by House Majority Forward, refined their approach to attacking the administration: Democrats “shouldn’t chide Musk, Trump, and others for being rich,” the group advised, but should highlight Musk’s conflicts of interest as head of DOGE and note the potential for him to undermine essential safety net programs for personal gain at the cost of American taxpayers.
“Participants laud Musk’s business acumen and aren’t opposed to the ideals of DOGE," HMF noted. However, they are concerned that Musk’s association with Trump creates fears that billionaire-led cuts "could include programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.”
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
They plan to hold Musk accountable, backed by new polling indicating that his popularity is plummeting. Key Democratic leaders are targeting the prominent Trump adviser, who is actively unraveling the federal government. They are pursuing subpoenas and proposing legislation aimed at preventing him from securing federal contracts while he serves in a "special" role in Trump’s cost-cutting initiatives.
This indicates how detrimental Democrats perceive Musk to be; battleground Rep. Jared Golden referred to Musk as an “unelected, weirdo billionaire” and noted he has “been getting a lot of calls over the past few days” regarding him. Golden, considered a moderate, represents a Trump-supporting area.
Additionally, Rep. Ro Khanna, who has had a longstanding connection with Musk in his Silicon Valley district, is also distancing himself. On Wednesday, Khanna stated on X that Musk’s “attacks on our institutions are unconstitutional.” He had previously compared Musk to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “dollar-a-year men,” corporate leaders who supported the government’s World War II mobilization, and mentioned that he often texts with him.
In Washington, Democrats are also protesting against Musk, believing that the image of an unelected billionaire disrupting the bureaucracy will resonate unfavorably with voters. Their efforts are bolstered by new data.
Recent internal polling conducted for House Majority Forward, a nonprofit linked to House Democratic leadership, revealed that Musk is viewed negatively by 1,000 registered voters in battleground districts. Only 43 percent expressed approval, while 51 percent held an unfavorable view. This poll, conducted by the Democratic firm Impact Research between January 19 and 25, also indicated that Musk inspires significant negative feelings; of those who disapproved, 43 percent did so strongly.
This trend is confirmed by further polling, as an Economist/YouGov poll released on Wednesday noted Musk’s approval rating is also below water, with 43 percent favorable and 49 percent unfavorable.
In the Democrats' internal polling, respondents were asked about their views on “the creation of a government of the rich for the rich by appointing up to nine different billionaires to the administration,” and 70 percent opposed it while only 19 percent supported it—a finding suggesting that Democrats may have identified a message that resonates with swing voters.
This data, along with focus groups conducted by House Majority Forward, refined their approach to attacking the administration: Democrats “shouldn’t chide Musk, Trump, and others for being rich,” the group advised, but should highlight Musk’s conflicts of interest as head of DOGE and note the potential for him to undermine essential safety net programs for personal gain at the cost of American taxpayers.
“Participants laud Musk’s business acumen and aren’t opposed to the ideals of DOGE," HMF noted. However, they are concerned that Musk’s association with Trump creates fears that billionaire-led cuts "could include programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.”
Debra A Smith for TROIB News
