Support for Elon Musk having “a lot” of influence in the Trump administration fell sharply in YouGov polling: 47% of Republicans said he should have that much influence just after the November 2024 election, compared with 26% in an early-February 2025 poll. That measures desired influence—not Musk’s overall popularity—and the first poll’s subgroup was Trump voters, not Republicans as a whole.
What the polls show
The clearest evidence behind the claim is a change in the share of Republicans who wanted Musk to have “a lot” of influence in the incoming Trump administration. YouGov’s poll fielded November 9–12, 2024 found 47% of Republicans chose that response; in the poll fielded February 2–4, 2025, the figure was 26%. The February poll was published February 5. YouGov’s February report compares the two Republican estimates.
The November poll also reported a separate result for Trump voters: 51% said Musk should have a lot of influence. The 47% Republican estimate from just after the election and the 26% Republican estimate in February are not a perfectly matched Trump-voter series. The group labels matter when describing the trend. YouGov’s November report gives the Trump-voter figure.
Wanting influence is not the same as approving of Musk
The polls asked about three distinct things: whether Musk should have a lot of influence, whether respondents thought he would or did have that much influence, and whether they viewed him favorably. In November, among Trump voters, 51% wanted him to have a lot of influence, 56% expected he would, and 88% viewed him favorably. Those percentages answer different questions; the 51% result should not be described as Musk’s favorability rating.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
#1 Best Overall
National results also show a gap between perceived and desired influence. In the November poll, 27% of all U.S. adults wanted Musk to have a lot of influence, while 52% expected he would. In the February 2–4 poll, 13% wanted him to have a lot of influence and 51% thought he had that much influence. The February report uses the wording “should have” for desired influence and “has” for perceived influence.
How later February polls add context
Two subsequent YouGov polls show that national preferences and perceptions continued to diverge, but they are separate snapshots rather than extensions of the Republican comparison above.
Rank #2
- February 9–11, 2025: 18% of all Americans wanted Musk to have a lot of influence. Among Republicans, 46% said he currently had a lot of influence, while 35% wanted him to have that much. YouGov’s February 9–11 report presents those results.
- February 16–18, 2025: 59% of Americans thought Musk had a lot of influence, while 16% wanted him to have that much. These are national figures, not a Republican trend. YouGov’s February 16–18 report provides the figures.
What the change can—and cannot—tell you
The November 9–12 survey included 1,743 U.S. adult citizens; the February 2–4 survey included 1,604. Both were online YouGov opt-in-panel surveys. Respondents were selected and weighted to represent U.S. adult citizens, and YouGov reported an approximate 3% margin of error for each overall sample. That overall margin does not apply automatically to Republican or other subgroup estimates.
These were separate cross-sectional polls, not a panel following the same respondents. The difference between 47% and 26% describes changes in survey estimates over time; it does not establish that particular individuals changed their minds. The polls support a conclusion about declining stated desire for Musk to have a lot of influence among Republicans, not a definitive claim about why opinions shifted or how every Trump voter felt.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Quick Recap
Best Value
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
