He bought and personally renamed Twitter. He’s the owner of Tesla and SpaceX. He’s President Trump’s most famous associate, with the Department of Government Efficiency tailored just for him. You know him; but do you love him?
Prior to President Trump’s electoral sweep, a survey conducted by the Economic Times revealed Elon Musk’s approval and disapproval ratings among Americans to be evenly tied at 45 percent each way. Today, these numbers have dropped by a staggering 40 percent, with 51 percent of survey takers expressing disapproval of Musk. This drop is largely credited to his uptake of his position as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
According to BBC News, many Americans are finding themselves more and more displeased with DOGE, especially with its many financial cuts and cancellations of DEI programs. Others are responding negatively to Elon Musk’s public appearances, specifically to his speeches and his physical gestures during them. As American residents, all students and faculty at Hastings High School are allotted their own opinion of Elon Musk and his changing public image. Here are what some students and faculty contributed.
Prior to the start of his political career, Elon Musk dabbled primarily in technology and entrepreneurship. Mr. Conwisar, a history and psychology teacher at HHS, commented, “I am vaguely familiar with his origin story. I know his ownership of Tesla and SpaceX, his recent purchase of Twitter.” Like many people, Mr. Conwisar’s opinion on Elon Musk was generally neutral and surface-level prior to this presidential term.
“I think generally Elon Musk has been a revolutionary figure when it comes to technology…he’s been at the forefront of many technological advances, such as privatized space flight and popularization of electrical vehicles,” described Jacob Kluegerman, a junior at HHS.
When asked about Elon Musk’s technological advancements, Mr. Abrams, an English teacher at HHS, stated, “I get the sense that he is someone who takes risks when it comes to investing in new technologies. I don’t know how much he himself is an inventor of technology, I get the sense that he is moreso an investor.” Without looking into his involvement in DOGE, Elon Musk was thus regarded by HHS as a prominent figure in the tech industry, whether inventing or investing in new developments.
When asked about Elon Musk’s public standing as a businessman, social studies teacher Mr. Conwisar contributed that he is skeptical as “…to what extent the risks he takes as an entrepreneur are based on his own financial well-being, on his own earnings, or whether he’s risking other people’s money.” This sentiment alludes to the fact that despite his largely neutral standing, Elon Musk already had certain doubtful qualities, such as his treatment of his employees and their wages. Even prior to his transition into politics, certain demographics questioned his standing.
Stepping into his political career, most interviewees expressed that they questioned Musk’s recent decisions as head of DOGE. Student Jacob Klugerman expressed, “…I think [Musk] has done a very poor job in management of DOGE, and I think he’s made a lot of bad and not necessarily thoughtful decisions that ended up doing more harm than good.” He went on to detail a personal experience, describing how Elon Musk’s recent blocking of funding of the National Institute of Health has negatively affected a family member’s employment.
Being asked the same question, Mr. Conwisar expressed, “I think he doesn’t understand working people, I don’t think he understands average, day-to-day people. I don’t think he understands that he isn’t dealing with just numbers.” His sentiment is shared by many Americans today, who believe that Elon Musk’s involvement in the people’s economy, especially his financial cuts, isn’t well thought-through.
The general consensus that can be reached is that Elon Musk’s involvement in the current presidential term has greatly soiled HHS’ opinion on his overall legacy. Although his contributions to modern technology, whether as an inventor or an investor, are appreciated by students and faculty alike, they struggle to say the same about his running of DOGE. Due to his extreme financial assets and the privilege he gains as a result, many, like Mr. Conwisar, struggle to feel represented by him. Others, like Jacob Klugerman, are finding themselves and their loved ones directly affected by Musk’s financial decisions, and thus his image has been equally spoiled across different demographics. Student or faculty member, the HHS community seems to find itself displeased with Elon Musk’s transforming legacy.
