OVER HALF OF AMERICANS BELIEVE MUSK WIELDS TOO MUCH POWER ON NATIONAL POLICY

Sat 22 February 2025:

A poll released Wednesday shows that 55% of Americans believe tech billionaire Elon Musk-a key ally of US President Donald Trump, and head of an unofficial team tasked with cutting the US federal government budget-has too much power in influencing decisions that affect the nation.

The Quinnipiac University survey, done on Feb. 3-17 with 1,039 registered voters, found that 55% of respondents feel Musk wields excessive power over national decisions. In contrast, 36% believe he has an appropriate level of influence, while only 3% think he has too little.

Among Democratic respondents, 96% agree that Musk has excessive power, compared to 56% of independents and just 16% of Republicans.

Additionally, 1% of Democrats, 33% of independents, and 78% of Republicans believe Musk has an appropriate level of power. Meanwhile, 4% of independents and 1% of Republicans feel he has too little influence.

Trump last month tapped Musk to lead the unofficial Department of Government Efficiency with the stated aim of eliminating wasteful spending. It has proved controversial, however, in seeking to fire huge numbers of government employees and eliminate popular agencies, as well as in gaining access to sensitive government data on the public with little oversight and no apparent authorization.

__________________________________________________________________________

https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22

__________________________________________________________________________

Musk was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and became a U.S. citizen in 2002. He’s the world’s richest man, with a net worth exceeding $400 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. His vast business holdings include X, Tesla and SpaceX, as well as the satellite internet service provider Starlink.

Musk said he voted for Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 and Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016. Musk has recently said that Tesla was being unfairly targeted by regulations in its original home state of California. Musk and the company’s headquarters moved to Austin, Texas, in 2021, and he increasingly soured on Biden with the then-president’s embrace of unions that clashed frequently with Tesla.

Musk appeared at his first Trump rally in early October, and his super PAC spent around $200 million to boost the Republican’s campaign. X also amplified messaging — and often disinformation — promoted by Trump and his “Make America Great Again” movement.

Trump has empowered Musk to help him keep a campaign promise to “ shatter the deep state ” by firing scores of federal workers, shrinking or shuttering agencies and slashing the size of government.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

__________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22