This post includes climate and environment headlines, data points, and key takeaways from recent public polls - including new polling about the Trump administration’s actions so far on energy and the environment and new polling about Elon Musk and his influence in the administration.

Headlines

Data for Progress – Voters have mixed feelings about Trump’s early actions on energy and the environment; while Republicans’ devotion bolsters overall support for these actions, nearly all are deeply underwater with independents [Article, Crosstabs]

The Economist + YouGov – Americans want Elon Musk to have little or no influence on the administration, but most believe he’s playing a major role; amid DOGE attacks, Americans have positive attitudes about the National Weather Service, FEMA, and other government agencies [Topline, Crosstabs]

Key Takeaways

Trump’s early actions on energy and the environment are deeply divisive, with limited support beyond the Republican base. Data for Progress finds that voters have mixed opinions about energy and environmental actions that Trump has taken so far, such as withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, expanding drilling on public lands, and halting new wind projects.

While generally steadfast support among Republican voters prevents any of these actions from being dramatically unpopular with voters overall, it’s notable how little appeal these actions have beyond the Republican base. Data for Progress finds that independents tend to oppose these actions by wide margins, underscoring how much Trump is playing to his base with these policies rather than broadening support for his energy agenda.

Americans say that Elon Musk holds far more influence over the government than they would like. Public opinion is turning against Musk, as The Economist and YouGov find that his favorability is now underwater (43% favorable / 49% unfavorable). Additionally, Americans are about twice as likely to view him very unfavorably than very favorably.

Americans, including Republicans, are also much more likely to say that Musk holds “a lot” of influence in the Trump administration than to say that they want him to hold a lot of influence in the administration.

As advocates try to defend the government’s ability to conduct basic functions like environmental protection, Musk is emerging as a compelling “villain” for our communications. Per recent reporting, these findings also mirror internal Democratic polling that has identified Musk as an effective target in their messaging.

Good Data Points to Highlight

• [IRA] 72% of voters support the Inflation Reduction Act after reading a brief, two-sentence description of it [Data for Progress]
• [Climate Action] 70% of voters support taking action to address climate change [Data for Progress]
• [Public Lands + Energy] By a 52%-38% margin, voters say that the federal government should prioritize clean energy over fossil fuels for new energy projects on public lands [Data for Progress]