According to a survey conducted by Yahoo News, two-thirds of Americans (67%) now say they would not consider buying or leasing a Tesla The report also highlights that 56% of those individuals attribute their decision to Elon Musk, with 30% citing him as the primary reason and 26% considering him a contributing factor.
That said, the survey involved only 1,677 adults residing in the USA and was conducted from March 20 to March 24. It further revealed that Musk’s popularity has taken a dip since November last year when he started steering his social media platform X rightward and spent a quarter of a billion dollars to help Trump win the 2024 election.
A separate Yahoo News poll conducted during the same period found that 49% of Americans had a favorable view of Musk, while 39% viewed him unfavorably as Trump’s second term approached. However, that has changed in the last couple of months. According to the new Yahoo News survey, just 39% of Americans now have a favorable opinion of Musk while a full 55% have an unfavourable opinion.
Why do Americans dislike Musk?
According to the recent survey, 54% of Americans now believe Musk has “too much influence” over Trump, up from 39% in November. Meanwhile, only 30% feel his influence is “about right,” a drop from 36%. The percentage of those who think Musk lacks sufficient influence (2%) has declined by half from 4%.
The recent poll also highlights a decline in public perception of DOGE under Elon Musk’s leadership. Only 40% of Americans view DOGE favourably, while 44% hold an unfavorable opinion. While nearly half (49%) support the idea of a government agency dedicated to cutting federal spending, only 37% approve of how DOGE is implementing these cuts, with 48% disapproving.
Additionally, 44% believe DOGE is worsening the situation by cutting essential services, compared to 38% who think it is effectively reducing wasteful spending. Musk’s personal reputation is also facing challenges, with 52% of Americans believing he is acting in self-interest rather than for the country’s benefit (36%).
Though opinions on Musk and DOGE are split along party lines, the poll indicates that even some Trump supporters are distancing themselves. While only 12% of 2024 Trump voters disapprove of DOGE’s spending cuts, 20% now hold an unfavorable view of Musk, and 23% believe he has excessive influence over the president — both figures nearly doubling since November.
Tesla’s popularity has also been affected, with the #TeslaTakedown protests making an impact. More Republicans (27%) say they would consider buying a Tesla than independents (19%) or Democrats (8%). However, overall interest remains low, with only 2% of Americans currently owning a Tesla and 18% considering one in the future. Public perception is mixed, as 49% of Americans now view Tesla unfavourably, while 37% have a positive opinion.