Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™.
One of the main goals of the Trump administration has been to remove Washington’s “elites” from office. Now that billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency agency have instituted mass layoffs, some supporters have buyer’s remorse. With midterm elections coming up, it’s possible that DOGE cuts could hurt the GOP and Trump administration as long as they continue.
In town halls across the country, from Georgia to Idaho to Missouri, Republican lawmakers are facing backlash from their constituents for aligning with Musk’s influence in government and continuing to spew Donald Trump’s lies. They’ve assured constituents that rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, along with implementing mass deportations, are effective policies that serve the American people. But it’s clear from the round of boos seen in videos on social media that their voters aren’t buying it.
More than 20,000 workers have been laid off, and workers who remain are being intimidated by Musk to resign. DOGE has made cuts across the board, from the military to even Veteran affairs, which certainly affects a number of Trump supporters in those states. Musk’s actions don’t just leave liberals with a bad taste in their mouths; it’s clear that even conservatives are fed up with him, too.
In these videos, constituents express concerns over Musk’s influence on policy, considering he is an unelected official and other concerns about cuts being made. A select few lawmakers have publicly urged Musk to provide more transparency to these cuts/layoffs, but as Trump continues to allow Musk to run the government as he sees fit, it’s clear those public cries have fallen on deaf ears.
It’s clear from voters’ opposition that there is widespread disapproval of Musk and his official role in government. According to a poll from Quinnipiac University, around 55% of Americans think Musk has too much power to make decisions within the federal government. In other topics polled, there is a stark bipartisan divide between Democrats and Republicans, with the latter approving much of the Trump administration’s recent policies.
While the polling doesn’t bode well for Musk’s future with the Trump administration, it’s too early to tell whether this will actually affect the midterms in the next two years. As DOGE continues to make cuts across the federal government, there could be growing discord among voters and Republican lawmakers. For now, we’ll just have to wait to see if Musk makes an even bigger mess in Washington than he has with companies like Telsa and X (formerly known as Twitter).
