61% of Americans Say This Is the Most Hated Man in the Country — and It's Not Donald Trump, Poll Finds

Tech titan Elon Musk has plummeted to become America's most despised public figure, with a damning 61 per cent of citizens expressing unfavourable views in a bombshell Gallup poll that reveals his spectacular fall from grace following his explosive breakup with Donald Trump.

The survey conducted between 7-21 July measured public opinion on 14 prominent global figures, delivering a devastating verdict on the world's richest man. With only 33 per cent viewing him favourably, Musk's net rating of minus 28 marks the worst score among all leaders tested—surpassing even controversial figures like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (minus 23) and former President Trump himself (minus 16).

The catastrophic collapse represents a stunning 24-point nosedive since January, when Musk's net favourability stood at minus 4. This precipitous decline coincides with his bitter public feud with Trump over the president's signature 'One Big Beautiful Bill' legislation, which the Tesla chief executive branded a 'disgusting abomination' that would 'bankrupt America'.

How Americans Perceive Musk?

The survey noted that only 33% of respondents reported a favourable opinion of him, while 61% expressed an unfavourable view, resulting in a net favourability rating of –28. This marks a significant decline in public perception compared to earlier in the year; in January 2025, Musk's net favorability stood at –4, indicating a sharp 24-point drop over just six months.

By comparison, former President Donald Trump fared slightly better with 39% favourable and 55% unfavourable ratings, yielding a net favourability of –16. Other Republican-affiliated figures, such as Vice President JD Vance, had a net favorability of –11, similar to that of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and President Joe Biden.

While none of these political figures were viewed positively overall, Musk stood out for having the most negative public perception, suggesting that his standing with the American public has declined more sharply than that of major Republican leaders.

The Trump-Musk Alliance That Turned Toxic

The relationship between the president and the billionaire entrepreneur deteriorated dramatically following Musk's scathing criticism of Trump's sweeping budget reconciliation bill in May. The legislation, which Trump called 'arguably the most significant piece of Legislation that will ever be signed in the History of our Country', included massive tax cuts whilst slashing funding for electric vehicles and renewable energy—directly threatening Musk's business empire.

What began as a policy disagreement erupted into full-scale warfare on social media. Trump accused Musk of going 'CRAZY' after losing government subsidies, whilst Musk fired back that 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election'. The Tesla founder even alleged Trump was named in the Jeffrey Epstein files, before later deleting the explosive post.

The feud reached its zenith when Trump threatened to terminate all of Musk's government contracts, prompting the billionaire to announce that SpaceX would 'immediately' begin decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft—the vessels NASA relies upon for International Space Station missions.

Musk has since formed the 'America Party,' positioning himself as a disruptor to the two-party system and marking a clear shift from his prior role within Trump's inner political circle.

Democrats and Republicans United in Disdain

Perhaps most striking is the bipartisan nature of Musk's unpopularity. Democrats awarded him a staggering minus 86 net favourability rating, viewing him as a traitor to progressive causes after bankrolling Trump's campaign with nearly $300 million. Yet Republicans have also soured on the tech mogul following his attacks on their president's landmark legislation.

'He alienated Democrats with his foray into MAGA politics, and then rankled Trump's base when he dared to speak ill of the president publicly', notes the analysis. Even political independents now hold significantly more unfavourable than favourable opinions of the billionaire.

The Silver Bulletin polling average confirms this trend, showing Musk's favourability has remained consistently underwater for weeks, with 57 per cent of Americans viewing him unfavourably compared to just 32.3 per cent favourably.

What Has Musk Been Up To Lately?

Recently, Tesla's board approved a massive $29 billion (£21.61 billion) in stock-based compensation—96 million shares—to ensure Musk remains at the helm during the company's strategic pivot toward AI, robotics, and robotaxis amid legal uncertainty over his 2018 pay package.

Meanwhile, his AI venture, xAI, announced that its Grok 2 chatbot will soon be open-sourced, aligning with OpenAI's efforts to increase transparency.

However, controversy has erupted over Grok Imagine—a new feature that allegedly generated a deepfake video of Taylor Swift topless without a direct prompt—raising concerns about content moderation failures.

A Warning for the Wealthy

From leading breakthroughs in AI and robotics to defending his companies amid political backlash and content moderation scandals, Musk remains a polarising figure shaping multiple industries—and now, potentially, a new political party.

Musk's dramatic fall from grace serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of mixing business, politics, and personal ambition.

Once hailed as a visionary entrepreneur revolutionising transport and space exploration, he now finds himself politically radioactive—too toxic for Democrats who view him as a MAGA sellout, and increasingly problematic for Republicans who see him as disloyal.

The billionaire who once commanded bipartisan respect for advancing electric vehicles and space exploration now stands alone—wealthy beyond measure, yet poorer in public esteem than any prominent figure in American life.