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New survey shows lack of public trust in Musk, DOGE

Mar 21, 2025

2 min

New data from the Center for Political Communication (CPC) at the University of Delaware shows many Americans have little trust in either Elon Musk or the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In a nationally-representative sample of 1,600 adult Americans surveyed by YouGov between February 27 and March 5, 2025, CPC researchers asked how much trust respondents had in various people and institutions, including Elon Musk, the Department of Government Efficiency, and President Trump.

Among the key findings:

• 25% of Americans report having “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in Elon Musk

26% report having “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

• 33% report having “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in President Donald Trump.

• About half of Republicans report “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in either (compared to 70% of Republicans who report “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in President Trump).

• Among independent voters, only 11% report “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in Musk and 13% in DOGE.

“As constituents in Republican districts learn about and voice concerns about DOGE’s cuts to Veteran’s Affairs, The National Institutes of Health, National Parks, and the Federal Aviation Administration, it will be interesting to see how public trust in Musk and DOGE may be affected,” said Dr. Dannagal Young, Director of the Center for Political Communication and one of the authors of the survey. “Understanding public sentiment about these unique government entities is essential to help ensure that elected officials are responsive to voter concerns."

Visit the CPC's website for full results of the survey.

To connect with Young for an interview, visit her profile and click the contact button.

Connect with:

Dannagal Young

Professor, Communication

Prof. Young's research interests include political media effects, media psychology, public opinion and the psychology of misinformation.

Psychology of Political BeliefsPublic OpinionPolitical Media EffectsMedia PsychologyIntersection of Entertainment and Information

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