Trump's Changes To The Federal Government Aren't Yet A Clear Political Winner Or Loser: Ap-norc Poll

President Donald Trump's dramatic changes to the federal government haven't emerged as an obvious political winner or loser, according to a new poll that indicates some Americans may be giving him the benefit of the doubt for now on his Department of Government Efficiency.

The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that about 4 in 10 U.S. adults 'somewhat" or 'strongly" approve of Trump's handling of Social Security and a similar share approve of the way he's managing the federal government.

Those numbers are almost identical to Trump's overall presidential approval, suggesting that his Republican administration's moves to fire thousands of federal workers , close Social Security Administration field offices , effectively shutter entire agencies and cancel thousands of government contracts haven't yet created a significant independent backlash - or spurred independent support.

Views of Trump and his adviser Elon Musk are still largely intertwined, despite Democrats' recent focus on Musk. The two men suffered a defeat on Tuesday when the conservative candidate they had endorsed for the Wisconsin Supreme Court was defeated . Musk and the groups he backed spent more than 21 million in the race, the first major test of how voters feel about Musk's political impact .

The poll, which was conducted before Tuesday's election, found that both Trump and Musk are viewed more negatively than positively and are largely rated similarly by Americans overall. Very few Americans have a positive view of one man and a negative view of the other.