Axios’ Talev: ‘There’s the Potential that Elon Musk Will Be Dragging the President’s Reputation Down’

BERMAN So you can ░░░░░░░░ the pushback that Alford ░░░░░░░░ there He won that ░░░░░░░░ by 45 points in ░░░░░░░░ last election So in ░░░░░░░░ that Republican congressman was ░░░░░░░░ friendly turf With us ░░░░░░░░ is Axios senior contributor ░░░░░░░░ Talev Margaret great to ░░░░░░░░ you And we just ░░░░░░░░ that at the end ░░░░░░░░ last week with Rich ░░░░░░░░ in Georgia We re ░░░░░░░░ to see this kind ░░░░░░░░ reaction bubbling up around ░░░░░░░░ country What do you ░░░░░░░░ of it TALEV I ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ really important indicator John ░░░░░░░░ what we ve always ░░░░░░░░ from the start is ░░░░░░░░ President Trump s approval ░░░░░░░░ were higher than Elon ░░░░░░░░ Elon Musk didn t ░░░░░░░░ elected president But Musk ░░░░░░░░ favorability or approval started ░░░░░░░░ pretty high just before ░░░░░░░░ start of the administration ░░░░░░░░ in the very early ░░░░░░░░ and we re beginning ░░░░░░░░ see not just in ░░░░░░░░ at this town hall ░░░░░░░░ but in national polling ░░░░░░░░ real dip where he ░░░░░░░░ you know underwater as ░░░░░░░░ say and his disapproval ░░░░░░░░ Musk s are higher ░░░░░░░░ his approval numbers We ░░░░░░░░ also beginning to see ░░░░░░░░ rise in the disapproval ░░░░░░░░ strong disapproval numbers for ░░░░░░░░ Trump So there s ░░░░░░░░ potential that Elon Musk ░░░░░░░░ be dragging the president ░░░░░░░░ reputation down among those ░░░░░░░░ who voted for Trump ░░░░░░░░ they wanted to see ░░░░░░░░ change but they just ░░░░░░░░ t want to see ░░░░░░░░ this way So that ░░░░░░░░ it s sort of ░░░░░░░░ important indicator to watch ░░░░░░░░ again I still think ░░░░░░░░ s early but what ░░░░░░░░ re looking at is ░░░░░░░░ the front of the ░░░░░░░░ workers who are being ░░░░░░░░ so much confusion You ░░░░░░░░ got the Office of ░░░░░░░░ Management saying this DOGE ░░░░░░░░ is voluntary then you ░░░░░░░░ got Musk doubling down ░░░░░░░░ saying I ll give ░░░░░░░░ another chance But you ░░░░░░░░ still you know might ░░░░░░░░ fired if you don ░░░░░░░░ respond You ve got ░░░░░░░░ saying that malign foreign ░░░░░░░░ are probably going to ░░░░░░░░ reading whatever you write ░░░░░░░░ if you decide to ░░░░░░░░ fill out the form ░░░░░░░░ t say anything very ░░░░░░░░ Aand then you ve ░░░░░░░░ these members of Congress ░░░░░░░░ are very worried inside ░░░░░░░░ Republican House Conference very ░░░░░░░░ worried about primary challenges ░░░░░░░░ the president if they ░░░░░░░░ t act as an ░░░░░░░░ to him but I ░░░░░░░░ a little bit less ░░░░░░░░ about primary challenges if ░░░░░░░░ turn cold to Elon ░░░░░░░░ And so that s ░░░░░░░░ space that I m ░░░░░░░░ at I think when ░░░░░░░░ ve got constituents showing ░░░░░░░░ consistently at meetings in ░░░░░░░░ red districts expressing concern ░░░░░░░░ Musk and that is ░░░░░░░░ disapproval potential disapproval of ░░░░░░░░ Trump that s going ░░░░░░░░ be an important trend ░░░░░░░░ watch.”