Popular views of Elon Musk have become more polarized since the billionaire became a vocal supporter of Donald Trump specifically and Republican politics generally, a new poll shows. Such a split, with members of one party overwhelmingly backing someone who's overwhelmingly opposed by the other party, is not unusual for a political figure. But it shows how Musk's public image has shifted from that of an environmentally concerned automaker and entrepreneur—the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX—working to reduce the use of fossil fuels to that of a right-wing activist, NBC News reports.
Just 6% of Democrats polled said they had positive feelings about Musk, while 79% said they had negative feelings. Among Republicans, 62% reported having positive feelings, and 14% said they had negative feelings. Independents split 31% to 36%. Hart Research Associates, a Democratic pollster, conducted the survey along with GOP pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies. At this point, Musk is "a damaged brand," said Hart's Jeff Horwitt, per NBC. "If you didn't see the name and you just saw the numbers, you'd say he looks like a typical national Republican politician," he said. (Trump said he'd appoint Musk to a "government efficiency commission" if he's elected president.)
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