Midwest
Musk's political baggage: Polls show Americans sour on Trump's most visible advisor
There’s no denying that billionaire Elon Musk has been the most visible member of President Donald Trump’s administration during Trump’s first 10 weeks back in the White House. But with familiarity can come contempt, as recent polling shows the DOGE point man underwater with approval ratings.
Musk, the world’s richest person and the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, has grabbed outsized attention as he’s steered DOGE, the acronym for Trump’s recently created Department of Government Efficiency, which has swept through federal agencies, rooting out what the White House argues was billions in wasteful federal spending.
The unit has also taken a meat cleaver to the federal workforce, resulting in a massive exodus of employees. The controversial moves by Musk and DOGE have triggered a slew of lawsuits in response.
But it’s becoming increasingly clear that a majority of Americans are far from happy with Musk’s moves. And two new national public opinion polls released this week offer further proof.
MUSK NOT LEAVING YET, WRAPPING UP WORK ON SCHEDULE ONCE ‘INCREDIBLE WORK AT DOGE IS COMPLETE’: WHITE HOUSE
President Donald Trump listens as White House senior advisor and Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks next to a Tesla Cyber Truck and a Model S on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 11. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
According to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted March 31-April 2, Musk’s favorable rating stands at 39% among Americans, with 57% viewing him in an unfavorable light.
And only 36% of respondents said the Trump administration was doing a competent job in reducing the number of federal employees. Even fewer — 31% — offered that the Trump administration was competently downsizing the federal government without affecting vital services.
According to a Marquette Law School national survey, 41% approve of the job Musk is doing at DOGE, with 58% giving him a thumbs down.
And Musk’s personal favorability rating was in negative territory — at 38% favorable to 60% unfavorable — in the poll, which was conducted March 17-24.
AMERICANS WANT SMALLER GOVERNMENT BUT NEW POLLS SHOWS WHETHER THEY LIKE HOW MUSK IS GOING ABOUT IT
A slew of new and recent public opinion polls indicate that Elon Musk’s favorable ratings and approval ratings are hovering in negative territory. Musk, the world’s richest person and President Donald Trump’s top donor in last year’s election, is currently serving as a top White House advisor and steering DOGE. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
The two surveys are the latest to indicate Musk’s poll numbers deeply underwater.
A majority — 54% — questioned in a Quinnipiac University survey conducted early last month said that Musk and DOGE are hurting the country, with just four in 10 saying their efforts are helping the country.
And according to a Fox News national poll conducted in mid-March, approval of Musk’s work at DOGE was in negative territory, at 40% approval and 58% disapproval.
While nearly six in 10 questioned in the Fox News poll felt that a great deal or almost all of government spending is wasteful and inefficient, 51% opposed substantially shrinking the number of government employees, 56% disapproved of the job the Trump administration is doing identifying and reducing wasteful spending, and another 65% worried that not enough thought and planning has gone into the cuts.
Trump continues to praise Musk’s efforts with DOGE – he’s done a fantastic job. We found hundreds…of millions of dollars in fraud and abuse and waste and, they’re still….going strong,” the president said on Thursday.
But Republicans are starting to voice concerns about Musk’s political liabilities. And Democrats have increasingly spotlighted and targeted Musk in their political attacks. And that was before he inserted himself front-and-center in this week’s high-profile and historically expensive state supreme court election in Wisconsin.
DEMOCRAT CONGRESSMAN LASHES MUSK IN OPENING SALVO OF SENATE BID
Billionaire businessman Elon Musk arrives for a town hall wearing a cheesehead hat at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Sunday. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
With a massive infusion of money from Democrat- and Republican-aligned groups from outside Wisconsin, which turned the race into the most expensive judicial election in the nation’s history, the contest partially transformed into a referendum on Trump’s sweeping and controversial moves during the opening months of his second tour of duty in the White House, and on Musk’s efforts.
Dane County Circuit Court Judge Susan Crawford, the liberal-leaning candidate, ended up defeating Brad Schimel, the conservative-leaning Trump-backed candidate, a former state attorney general who currently serves as a state circuit court judge in Waukesha County, by roughly 10 points.
The large margin was not expected, in a race that was expected to be close, in a state that last November had an extremely tight margin in the presidential race.
Musk, who last year was Trump’s top donor, dished out roughly $20 million in the Wisconsin race through aligned groups in support of Schimel.
ELON MUSK HANDS OUT MILLION-DOLLAR CHECKS AMID ‘SUPER IMPORTANT’ WISCONSIN JUDICIAL RACE
Elon Musk, right, sparked controversy as he presented million-dollar checks to two attendees during a town hall ahead of the Wisconsin Supreme Court election, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Sunday. (Jamie Kelter Davis/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In a controversial move, Musk handed out $1 million checks at a rally in Green Bay on Sunday evening to two Wisconsin voters who had already cast ballots in the contest and had signed a petition to stop “activist judges.”
Musk’s lighting rod efforts in Wisconsin are being blamed for partially contributing to the 10-point shellacking Schimel suffered.
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The White House confirmed to Fox News on Wednesday that Musk will exit his role with DOGE on schedule later this spring, once his efforts are complete.
The White House, pushing back against reporting by Politico that Trump had told his inner circle and cabinet members that Musk would be “stepping back in the coming weeks from his current role,” said that Musk had long been anticipated to step back from DOGE when his 130 days as a “special government employee” run out in May.
“We’re in no rush. But there’ll be a point at which time, you know, he’s going to have to leave,” Trump told reporters on Thursday, when asked when Musk would leave. “I would think a few months.”
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Manuel Franco claims his $768 million Powerball jackpot
Manuel Franco, 24, of West Allis was revealed Tuesday as the winner of the $768.4 million Powerball jackpot.
Mark Hoffman, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Wisconsin Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at May 23, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from May 23 drawing
07-18-40-55-68, Mega Ball: 18
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from May 23 drawing
Midday: 9-1-3
Evening: 1-0-7
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 23 drawing
Midday: 2-8-2-0
Evening: 2-1-5-4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning All or Nothing numbers from May 23 drawing
Midday: 01-02-06-07-09-11-13-14-16-20-22
Evening: 02-04-05-09-10-11-13-14-18-19-21
Check All or Nothing payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Badger 5 numbers from May 23 drawing
02-05-10-25-30
Check Badger 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning SuperCash numbers from May 23 drawing
06-09-11-26-35-39, Doubler: N
Check SuperCash payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
- Prizes up to $599: Can be claimed at any Wisconsin Lottery retailer.
- Prizes from $600 to $199,999: Can be claimed in person at a Lottery Office. By mail, send the signed ticket and a completed claim form available on the Wisconsin Lottery claim page to: Prizes, PO Box 777 Madison, WI 53774.
- Prizes of $200,000 or more: Must be claimed in person at the Madison Lottery office. Call the Lottery office prior to your visit: 608-261-4916.
Can Wisconsin lottery winners remain anonymous?
No, according to the Wisconsin Lottery. Due to the state’s open records laws, the lottery must, upon request, release the name and city of the winner. Other information about the winner is released only with the winner’s consent.
When are the Wisconsin Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Super Cash: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 3 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Pick 4 (Evening): 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
- All or Nothing (Day): 1:30 p.m. CT daily.
- All or Nothing (Evening): 9 p.m. CT daily.
- Megabucks: 9:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Badger 5: 9:00 p.m. CT daily.
That lucky feeling: Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
Feeling lucky? WI man wins $768 million Powerball jackpot **
WI Lottery history: Top 10 Powerball and Mega Million jackpots
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Wisconsin editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Midwest
Red state school district slapped with complaint to Trump admin alleging unlawful DEI practices
FIRST ON FOX: A pro-Trump legal nonprofit is asking for the U.S. Department of Education to investigate an Ohio school district that the group says is pushing an “unlawful” DEI agenda and violating federal anti-discrimination law.
The complaint from America First Legal alleges that the Upper Arlington School District in Columbus, Ohio has implemented DEI policies dating back to 2020 and cites material from the district’s own website.
“In June 2020, during the height of the Black Lives Matter riots, the Upper Arlington School Board, like many other educational institutions and corporations in our country, caved to Black Lives Matter demands and began to implement racist and discriminatory DEI policies in the District,” the complaint alleges.
“The District added a Chief Talent Officer (“CTO”) to “foster workforce diversity. Upper Arlington also added an Equity Advisory Board, which aims to ‘provide invaluable insight and feedback on the recruitment of a diverse staff.’ The School District also created a new position, the Chief Excellence and Engagement Officer, who was tasked with ‘spearhead[ing] Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts.’”
WATCH: UNEARTHED FOOTAGE EXPOSES MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PLEDGING TO RESIST TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS
The Upper Arlington School District is facing a legal complaint over its DEI policies (Getty)
The complaint alleges that DEI advocacy continued in the years after 2020 and quoted a district report that said “[t]here is a need for a clear vision for DEI initiatives [and] advocacy for LGBTQIA+ students” while referring “those who oppos[e] DEI efforts” as “negative voices.”
A “Comprehensive Equity Report” from the district “contains “discriminatory and illegal recommendations”, according to the complaint.
The complaint makes the case that the DEI practices within the district are not in line with current Education Department rules and guidelines and suggests that federal funding to the school could be in jeopardy.
WHITE HOUSE VOWS TO IMPLEMENT ‘SYSTEM OF MERIT’ IN US, DISMANTLE DEI ‘STRANGULATION’
“When our nation’s schools discriminate based on race and sex, and embed divisive racial and sexual ideologies into their curriculum, it not only violates the law, but it also warps our children’s education,” Jacob Meckler, America First Legal Counsel, told Fox News Digital in a statement. “The Department of Education should investigate the Upper Arlington School District and, if appropriate, terminate federal taxpayer funding.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the school district and Department of Education for comment.
Upper Arlington School District has been in hot water over DEI practices in the past when video surfaced in 2023 showing district officials discussing how they can push critical race theory covertly, Fox News Digital previously reported.
“There’s more than one way to skin a cat,” Matthew Boaz, the executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion of Upper Arlington Schools, said. “You can pass a bill that you can’t teach CRT in a classroom, but if you didn’t cover programming, or you didn’t cover extracurricular activities or something like that, that message might still get out. Oops.”
The Upper Arlington School District in Ohio is facing criticism over its DEI policies (Getty Images/iStock)
In a statement to Fox News Digital Superintendent Hunt said, “On April 30, Upper Arlington Schools received a copy of a letter sent to the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights by an attorney writing on behalf of the advocacy group America First Legal. The letter accuses the district of ‘illegal DEI policies,’ but fails to identify any specific practices or policies that are actually in place in the district.”
“We take any concerns of discrimination seriously and we will continue, as always, in our commitment to our mission of challenging and supporting every student, every step of the way, to our vision that every student is prepared to serve, lead, and succeed, and to our values – start with heart, strength in team, and contagious drive. Our new Excellence & Innovation 2030 Strategic Plan is rooted in these commitments, and we will remain focused on providing our students with the high quality educational experience that our community expects.”
Hunt added that “we will certainly cooperate fully” if an investigation is opened.
A Dept. of Education spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the department “doesn’t confirm complaints.”
Earlier this year, the Department of Education issued a letter warning public schools across the country that they must remove diversity, equity and inclusion policies or risk losing federal funding.
“Institutions that fail to comply with federal civil rights law may, consistent with applicable law, face potential loss of federal funding,” Craig Trainor, acting assistant secretary for civil rights in the Department of Education, said in the letter.
The letter said the “overt and covert racial discrimination that has become widespread in this Nation’s educational institutions” will no longer be tolerated.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion contributed to this report
Read the full article from Here
Detroit Tigers’ Matt Vierling explains why he drives 2012 Ford Escape
Detroit Tigers player Matt Vierling reveals on the “Days of Roar” podcast that he drives a 2012 Ford Escape — and why he won’t buy a new car.
At last, Matt Vierling has arrived.
The Detroit Tigers activated Vierling — an outfielder/third baseman on the field and a team leader behind the scenes — from the injured list ahead of their Friday, May 23, game against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park. He wasn’t in the starting lineup, but he’s available as a pinch-hitter off the bench.
The 28-year-old had been sidelined since Feb. 23 — the second game of spring training — with a strained rotator cuff in his right shoulder. In total, Vierling missed 51 games this season.
But now, he’s finally back.
Buy our book: The Epic History of the Tigers
To create room for Vierling, the Tigers optioned left-handed reliever Sean Guenther to Triple-A Toledo. On May 24, the Tigers are expected to activate right-hander Casey Mize to start, which will lead to the demotion of a position player.
Vierling has been a mainstay for the Tigers the past two seasons.
He had the best results of his four-year MLB career in the 2024 campaign, hitting .257 with 16 home runs, 41 walks and 121 strikeouts in 144 games. He plays all three outfield positions and third base, but he performs best in center field and right field.
Returning to the Tigers, Vierling projects to play right field and third base, with ex-infielder Javier Báez expected to continue roaming center field until Parker Meadows is activated from the injured list within the next three weeks.
Meadows — who has been sidelined since Feb. 22 with a right upper arm nerve issue — started his rehab assignment May 20, which began his 20-day rehab clock.
He must be activated by June 9.
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As for Vierling, he played 11 games on his rehab assignment. He hit .206 with two home runs, nine walks and 14 strikeouts in43 plate appearances. He spent five games at designated hitter, three games at third base for 21 innings, two games in right for 13 innings and one game in center for nine innings.
The Tigers took their time with Vierling’s rehab assignment to ensure the rotator cuff strain in his right shoulder wouldn’t resurface with throws from different angles.
It took 19 days, but Vierling eventually checked all the boxes.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
Order your copy of “Roar of 125: The Epic History of the Detroit Tigers!” by the Free Press at Tigers125.PictorialBook.com.
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