Two liberal Democratic groups aim to coordinate the party’s response to Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
The Progressive Change Institute and Data for Progress assembled the talking points after three months of polling and testing different arguments. Across the surveys, a clear pattern emerged — the most effective arguments centered around portraying DOGE as taking the wrong approach to government efficiency, exploiting fears of Social Security cuts and welfare programs, and enabling corporate greed. The least effective arguments related to fears of DOGE triggering a Constitutional crisis and allegations that Musk had a personal stake in government cuts.
An April 4 through 7 survey of 1,220 likely voters and a March 8 through 10 survey of 1,169 likely voters found that the single most effective argument was that DOGE was taking the wrong approach to efficiency and the government should instead focus on cracking down on corporate tax cheats. This was especially true among independents.
The March survey found that 68% of respondents found the argument convincing, compared to 32% who did not.
The second most effective approach was exploiting fears over Social Security cuts, pointing to some expert opinions that firing employees would result in worse service. This approach was the second most effective on Democrats, independents, and overall.
Though accusing Musk of using DOGE to steal was the most effective argument for Democrats, it was less convincing for independents and Republicans.
The least effective was exploiting fears of a Constitutional crisis. The argument that DOGE’s decision on how money was spent violated the Constitution was the least convincing of 16 lines of reasoning.
Claims that Musk was using DOGE for insider information against competitors and that President Donald Trump was using DOGE to siphon money away from the poor toward his rich friends were similarly unconvincing.
Among independents, the most effective arguments were the wrong approach, fears over Social Security, and claims that Musk was using DOGE to steal money away from social services. Arguments over DOGE being a conflict of interest for Musk were the least convincing.
OUT OF POWER, DEMOCRATS RESORT TO THEATER AND PROCEDURE TO MOUNT TRUMP RESISTANCE
Another effective approach was to isolate Musk from Trump. Survey responses found that solely accusing Musk of stealing or other misdeeds was significantly more convincing than accusing Trump of either being complicit or actively participating.
Following their blistering defeat in November, a bruised Democratic Party has struggled to regain its footing to mount an effective defense against Trump. Some within the party view opposition to Musk and DOGE as a winning approach, becoming the focus of much of the party’s energy.