Recent polling data indicates that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by entrepreneur Elon Musk, enjoys more public support than anticipated, surprising numerous analysts, including one from CNN.

A CBS/YouGov poll revealed that 54% of Americans believe Musk’s DOGE should have some level of influence over government operations and spending. This is despite persistent criticisms and protests from Democrats about DOGE’s methods and approach to federal spending cuts.

Data reporter for CNN, Harry Enten, expressed his astonishment at these findings on air. “This, to me, was one of the more shocking figures that I saw. It made me go, ‘wait a minute, hold on one second! Whoa!'” Enten stated.

The poll also disclosed that a majority of Americans are in favor of President Trump’s initiatives to reduce government agency staff. This poll comes after Musk informed cabinet members last week about his expectation for DOGE to achieve its $1 trillion spending cut goal.

When CNN anchor Kate Bolduan inquired about what Americans believe DOGE is cutting, Enten referred to additional polling data suggesting that the public largely perceives these cuts as targeting wasteful spending rather than essential services.

A Washington Post/IPSOS poll of registered voters discovered that 42% believe DOGE is reducing “wasteful spending,” while only 36% see the department as cutting “necessary programs.”

“Democrats want to argue that the type of spending that Musk is cutting is mainly necessary programs, but that comes in at just 36%. The wasteful spending actually wins the plurality here, at 42%,” Enten explained on CNN.

However, support for DOGE is not universally high in all polls. According to PolitiFact, a Harvard-Harris poll showed 72% of respondents supporting a government agency focused on efficiency, but the question did not specifically mention DOGE. Other polls have shown mixed or unfavorable public sentiment towards Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration, primarily due to concerns about DOGE’s access to sensitive government data.

The CBS News/YouGov poll also disclosed that Americans are split on the impact of workforce cuts, with Republicans perceiving it as a boost to efficiency and Democrats seeing it as an elimination of essential workers and a consolidation of Trump’s power.

Specifically for federal workforce reductions, 52% believe DOGE and Musk have too much influence, 15% think it’s insufficient, and 33% consider it just right. The Trump administration has defended these reductions, emphasizing that the president is only interested in the most qualified individuals willing to enact his America First agenda.

According to The Washington Post, Musk and his DOGE allies have defended their actions to shrink federal agencies by claiming to target fraud, waste, and abuse in government spending. This sentiment is echoed by President Trump, who has suggested there is considerable “fraud” in programs like Social Security.

However, independent watchdogs and analysts cited by the Washington Post argue that Musk and Trump are using broad allegations of fraud to garner political backing for extensive spending cuts. While fraudulent spending does occur in the government, much of what Musk and his supporters label as “fraud” is simply disagreement over the purpose or value of certain programs.

Despite Trump’s overall low approval ratings on the economy, the positive polling results for Musk and DOGE suggest that many Americans are positively reacting to specific initiatives aimed at reducing perceived government waste.

According to PennLive, the polling data highlights a significant change in public opinion about the government’s role. Currently, 55% of Americans say the government is doing too much, a shift from 54% who said the government was doing too little in 2020. This evolving sentiment may partially explain why efforts to slash government spending are gaining support among the majority of voters.

Despite the seeming public endorsement of DOGE’s mission, the specifics of what programs could be impacted by the trillion-dollar spending cut goal remain largely uncertain to the public. Polls show Americans are divided on whether these cuts will ultimately benefit or harm government services.