Midweek Mood Check: Voters rank DOGE

As COS reported last week, the establishment is none too pleased with Elon Musk’s merciless war against the federal government. But how do the voters feel? This week’s Midweek Mood Check shows everyday Americans are generally more supportive of DOGE and the SpaceX founder’s efforts to cut government spending than the self-serving politicians who have long licked Uncle Sam’s fingers.

For starters, the American public is paying more attention to news about DOGE than the wars in the Middle East and Europe. Monday marked the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and President Donald Trump has clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over the future of the war. Meanwhile, recent developments regarding Hamas have shocked the world. Nevertheless, despite these global conflicts, voters, by an 11 percent margin, say they are paying more attention to Musk’s actions in Washington than to the overseas tensions.

Last week, Musk teased the possibility of a “DOGE Dividend” — $5,000 stimulus checks from the money he plans to cut from the federal budget. According to the proposal, DOGE would return 20 percent of its savings to taxpayers, with the remaining 80 percent allocated to paying down the federal debt. While experts and lawmakers are divided on the idea, with some warning it could drive inflation, an overwhelming 59 percent of voters express support for the plan.

Overall, sixty-two percent of voters think it’s at least somewhat likely that DOGE and Trump will significantly reduce federal government spending over the next year. But they better act fast! Every day, the national debt continues to grow and the clock ticks down on American solvency. 

Although the Founders might not have foreseen something like DOGE, they certainly predicted the federal government would one day grow out of control. That’s why they gave us the second clause of Article V, which allows the states and the people to erect barriers against the encroachments of the national authority.

As Matt May recently wrote, we cannot leave this historic work to Elon Musk alone. To join the Convention of States movement, sign the COS petition below.