Most worried DOGE cuts could hurt services in their communities: Survey

The Department of Government Efficiency's (DOGE) work to overhaul the federal workforce and cut down government spending have many on edge, according to a new survey.

The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, released Thursday, shows that many Americans, 58 percent, are worried that programs like student financial aid and Social Security payments could face delays. Another 29 percent did not express the same concerns.

While President Trump named tech billionaire Elon Musk to helm the agency, the White House said earlier this week that he is technically not part of the group. Instead, a court filing showed that Musk is considered an employee of the “White House Office.” 

Respondents who identify as Republican were more likely to be in favor of DOGE's actions thus far, while others were not yet sold on the cost-cutting initiative. More than four-in-10 Americans, 42 percent, say they support the advisory group, while 53 percent say they do not, according to the survey.

Overall, the DOGE’s aim to slash the size of the federal government has support from 59 percent of Americans. Its backing is represented among a range of voters, including a third of Democratic Party voters, the poll found. 

Nearly all GOP voters and around one-in-five Democrats support cutting off U.S. assistance to other countries. The numbers come as Musk and Trump have eyed dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development, which has sparked backlash within the U.S. and abroad.

The Trump administration has also issued orders for several agencies to pare down their workforce, including probationary workers and those appointed by former President Biden.

Most U.S. adults in the latest survey, 62 percent, disagreed with the notion that the president is authorized to terminate federal employees who do not align with his views or agenda. About 23 percent said he should be entitled to make that decision.

Just over 70 percent of respondents said the wealthy have way too much influence over the current White House. About 69 percent also argued that those individuals are profiting off of their connections and proximity to the current administration, per the poll.

The concerns are present even among Trump’s die-hard supporters, with 44 percent of them claiming the richest executives and billionaires are making more money, according to the survey. 

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted from Feb. 13-18 among 4,145 U.S. adults. The margin of error was around 2 percentage points.