Democratic pollster Evan Roth Smith told the Washington Examiner that Musk has alienated pro-EV Democrats during his time as the de facto head of the Department of Government Efficiency, while failing to boost support for EV policies among Republicans.

“Elon Musk’s controversial stint in politics has scrambled support for pro-EV policies such as tax credits: Democratic voters are souring on any policy that could be seen to benefit Tesla and Musk, while climate-skeptical Republican voters aren’t making up the lost ground despite Musk’s partisan appeal,” he said. “The result is a broad-based decline in support for pro-EV policies, ironically self-inflicted by Musk by alienating too many pro-EV Democrats while failing to create enough pro-EV Republicans.”

The consumer survey comes roughly a week after the Senate voted to cancel waivers granted to California by the Environmental Protection Agency to allow it to ban the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035. The waiver had been granted by the Biden administration but has been revoked by the House and Senate and is awaiting President Donald Trump’s signature, via Congressional Review Act.

ELON MUSK EXITS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ONE DAY AFTER TRASHING ‘BIG, BEAUTIFUL BILL’

It also comes as Musk leaves his special government role in the Trump administration after taking heat for months as the face of DOGE and its efforts to cut and reform the federal government.

Backlash from Democrats and aligned activists has led to protests and attacks at Tesla showrooms and to the sales of the vehicles dropping at the beginning of 2025.