With each passing day, Elon Musk is fast becoming a pariah, and the approval ratings back it up. When he first became a public persona in the early 2010s, thanks to his breakthrough in technology, Musk was hailed as some Tony Stark individual. However, the ushering in of Donald Trump’s second administration portrayed the Tesla CEO as far from a superhero.
Now, citizens are revolting. Elon Musk’s net approval rating among Democrats has been on a downward spiral since 2017. The Space X owner’s favorability rating has dropped from +24 to -19 between 2017 and 2025, while his rating among Republicans has risen from -18 to +51 within the same time frame. However, among independents, his ratings reduced from +17 to -17.
Musk, who is in charge of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has had his hands full since President Donald Trump returned for his second administration. Together, Trump and Musk have enforced several policies regarding terminating federal contracts to reduce the federal workforce.
The billionaires’ involvement in the mass layoffs has been met with criticism and protests from the general public. On multiple occasions, demonstrators have held non-violent public protests outside Tesla showrooms, and there have also been numerous reports of vandalism of Tesla cars and properties across the country.
According to CNN’s chief data analyst, Harry Enten, Democrats once loved Musk, but not anymore. Enten pointed out that new registrations for Tesla vehicles dropped by 11% in January 2025, whereas last year, the number only dropped by 5%.
“This has occurred as other EV carmakers have seen their registrations go up. And it has also occurred as Tesla registrations and the people buying Teslas worldwide has also dropped. It’s not just a U.S. phenomenon,” Enten added, per Newsweek.
Interestingly, Democrats own 38% of electric vehicles in the U.S., while Republicans own only 20%.
“I have rarely if ever seen any change of perception as dramatic as this one. I mean, Elon Musk’s net favorable rating, it’s dropped from +24 to -19 overall from 2017 to 2025. And look at these—look at, among Democrats. He used to be beloved by Democrats at +35. Look where it is now—91 points on the net favorable rating. That is a movement of over 120 points in the negative direction, falling through the floor.”
The news of Musk’s reduced favorability rating has circulated around social media, and users reacted to it by calling Musk the “most unpopular president since Trump.”
One user commented, saying, “Thing is, is this really reflecting at all? I wonder. Like, I hope the world wakes up more to vote better next election for sure.”
Another wrote, “He’s a Nazi POS. The world hates you, Elon.”
On the other hand, some users are shocked to learn that the Tesla owner has an approval rating. “Why does this guy have an approval rating? He’s a private citizen,” one person penned.
“Kinda weird that Elon Musk is in a position to warrant an approval rating in the first place,” another user chimed in.
Musk has yet to comment on the low ratings officially. However, he responded to a post on X (formerly Twitter) that highlighted his low approval ratings with the Democrats by saying, “The Democratic Party is dying.” He doesn’t seem bothered that he is no longer beloved by the Left.
