Trump backs Musk: 'He had a bad moment, but he’s a good person'

Trump says Musk a good person

US President Donald Trump, months after the public feud with his old friend, came to the defense of the Tesla CEO following a poll that ranked Musk as the “most unpopular public figure in America."

A Gallup survey conducted between July 7 and 21 with 1,000 respondents found that Elon Musk’s popularity has dropped by 24 points since January, making him the most unfavourable public figure in the US, a decline that comes months after his public feud with Donald Trump.

"I don't know [if] that poll's accurate. I think he's a good person. I think he had a bad moment, a really bad moment. But he's a good person. I believe that," Trump told a reporter in response to a question about the survey.

Trump claims Musk 'really bad moment' 'Poll accurate that Elon is America's most unpopular figure?' pic.twitter.com/RnRhE6mxzr

— RT (@RT_com) August 7, 2025

Tesla CEO Elon Musk's net favorability rating dropped from -4 to -28, with 61% of respondents expressing an unfavorable view of him, according to the Gallup poll. Despite the decline, 33% still held a favorable opinion, while 6% had no opinion.

Once seen as a close ally of Donald Trump and often referred to as his “first buddy,” Musk’s relationship with the president soured after he publicly criticized Trump’s tax and spending bill. This led to a series of personal attacks between the two on social media.

In one instance, Musk accused the Trump administration of concealing documents related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, implying Trump’s name might appear in them. Trump responded by suggesting the South African-born billionaire should “go back where he came from.”