Source: Fortune
Summary
A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USA Facts shows that majorities of U.S. adults have little or no trust in federal government information about elections, politics, foreign affairs, and the environment. Trust in government information has grown more partisan, with Democrats showing significantly lower trust than Republicans. The survey also found that only 34% of U.S. adults trust government certifications of election results “a great deal” or “quite a bit,” down from 40% in 2024. The findings suggest a deepening skepticism, especially after recent political changes and policy shifts.
Our Reading
The numbers tell one story.
Trust in government information is down across the board.
Partisan divides in trust have widened.
Republicans and Democrats now have very different views.
Public confidence in election results is at a low point.
Author: Evan Null
Lower trust in federal government information
About 6 in 10 U.S. adults have low trust in information from the federal government about the environment, foreign affairs, elections, and politics. Mistrust has risen on nearly every topic since 2019, with education showing a 9-percentage point increase. The findings come after a year and a half of upheaval in the executive branch, with Trump dismantling parts of the federal bureaucracy and firing thousands of employees. This has led to concerns about data quality and policy consistency.
Belief in government information has become more partisan
The gap between Republicans’ and Democrats’ trust in government information is much wider than it was during Trump’s first term. Democrats were generally less likely to trust government information in Trump’s first term, but not dramatically more than Republicans. That shifted when control of the White House changed hands. Republicans’ mistrust in government information rose while Biden was president and fell after Trump took office. Meanwhile, Democrats’ doubts declined under Biden and spiked when Trump regained power.
Few trust political messages, even from their own party
As the 2026 midterms approach, public concern about the accuracy of the election results is widespread. Just under half of U.S. adults are “extremely” or “very” concerned the federal government will publicly discredit or question election results. Few Americans trust the information they get from political campaigns. Only about 1 in 10 U.S. adults say the Democratic Party or Republican Party campaign messages are “always” or “often” based in factual information.
Trust in election certifications is at a low point
Less than half of Democrats, 44%, trust government certifications of election results “a great deal” or “quite a bit,” a substantial decline from 65% in 2024. Even with Trump back in the White House, Republicans haven’t seen a similar increase in confidence. Only 29% of Republicans have high trust in government certifications of election results, up just slightly from 2024. Trust in other sources of information about election outcomes — such as national news outlets or cable news networks — is also low overall.
Public skepticism is deepening
Public skepticism of government information is growing, with majorities now saying they have little or no trust in federal government information about elections, politics, foreign affairs, or the environment. The survey highlights how political changes and policy shifts have affected public confidence, particularly among Democrats. Trust in government information has also become more partisan since Trump’s first term, with Republicans and Democrats now having very different views on the reliability of federal information. This growing divide reflects a broader trend of declining public confidence in government institutions.
