Americans appear to be more supportive of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) than many expected, according to recent polling data that left at least one CNN analyst visibly shocked.
A CBS/YouGov poll found that 54% of Americans believe Musk and DOGE should have at least some influence over government spending and operations, despite weeks of protests and criticism from Democrats about the department’s approach to federal spending cuts.
CNN data reporter Harry Enten expressed surprise when presenting these findings on air. “This, to me, was one of the more shocking figures that I saw. It made me go, ‘wait a minute, hold on one second! Whoa!'” Enten exclaimed.
The poll also revealed that a majority of Americans approve of President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce staff at government agencies. This comes as Musk told cabinet members last week that he expects DOGE to reach its $1 trillion spending cut goal.
When CNN anchor Kate Bolduan asked Enten what Americans believe DOGE is actually cutting, he pointed to additional polling data that suggests the public largely views the cuts as targeting waste rather than essential services.
A Washington Post/IPSOS poll of registered voters found that 42% believe DOGE is cutting “wasteful spending,” while only 36% believe the department is cutting “necessary programs.”
“Democrats want to argue that the type of spending that Musk is cutting is mainly necessary programs, but that comes in at just 36%. The wasteful spending actually wins the plurality here, at 42%,” Enten said on CNN.
Enten suggested this perception explains the surprising level of public support for DOGE’s influence. “I think that is the reason why you see that when it comes to Musk and DOGE, you see, in fact, the majority believe he should have some influence, because they believe, the plurality believe that he is cutting wasteful spending. Not necessary programs that Democrats are arguing,” Enten explained.
However, not all polls show overwhelming support for DOGE. According to PolitiFact, while a Harvard-Harris poll found 72% support for a government agency focused on efficiency, that question did not specifically mention DOGE. Other polls have found mixed or negative public sentiment towards Musk’s role in the Trump administration, with concerns about DOGE’s access to sensitive government data.
The CBS News/YouGov poll also revealed Americans are divided on the impact of workforce reductions, with Republicans viewing it as increasing efficiency and Democrats seeing it as removing essential workers and consolidating Trump’s power.
When it comes to federal workforce reductions specifically, 52% believe Musk and DOGE have too much input, 15% believe it’s not enough, and 33% believe it’s just right, according to reporting from The Hill. The Trump administration has defended the firings, stating the president is only interested in the best and most qualified people willing to implement his America First agenda.
The Washington Post reports that Musk and his allies in DOGE have justified their efforts to reduce federal agencies by claiming to target fraud, waste, and abuse in government spending. President Trump has echoed this rhetoric, suggesting there is significant “fraud” in programs like Social Security.
However, independent watchdogs and analysts quoted by the Washington Post say Musk and Trump are using overly broad claims of fraud to build political support for sweeping spending cuts. While there is indeed fraudulent spending in the government, much of what Musk and his allies label as “fraud” is simply disagreement over the intent or value of certain programs.
The positive polling results for Musk and DOGE come despite Trump’s overall poor approval ratings on the economy, which are historically low compared to other presidents at similar points in their terms. This suggests that regardless of overall economic sentiment, many Americans are responding positively to specific initiatives aimed at reducing what they perceive as government waste.
The polling data indicates a significant shift in public opinion about the role of government. According to PennLive, 55% of Americans now say the government is doing too much, up from 54% saying it was doing too little in 2020. This changing sentiment may help explain why efforts to reduce government spending are finding support among a majority of voters.
Despite the apparent public support for DOGE’s mission, the details of what programs might be affected by the trillion-dollar spending cut goal remain largely unclear to the public, with polls showing Americans divided on whether the cuts will ultimately help or harm government services.
