Public Trust in Federal Information Hits New Lows Ahead of Midterm Elections, Survey Finds

American faith in official federal information has deteriorated significantly over the past several years, with broad majorities of the public now voicing deep skepticism regarding government communications across an array of core issues. According to new survey findings, substantial numbers of citizens express little to no confidence in what federal authorities report concerning politics, national elections, international relations, and environmental policies.

The comprehensive findings emerge from a survey conducted jointly by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USAFacts. The research reveals that the current wave of public suspicion has expanded notably compared to 2024 levels. Furthermore, disbelief in federal data is now markedly higher than it was at the conclusion of President Donald Trump’s first term in the White House, highlighting a sustained erosion of institutional trust.

The downturn in confidence appears closely tied to structural changes and ongoing upheaval across the executive branch. Following his return to the presidency, Trump initiated sweeping efforts to reshape and dismantle significant segments of the federal bureaucracy. The administration’s aggressive actions to terminate long-standing federal initiatives and eliminate entire government agencies have fundamentally altered public perceptions of the executive branch, provoking acute skepticism particularly among Democratic voters.

This widespread skepticism touches nearly every major public policy domain evaluated by researchers. Approximately six in ten American adults indicate they maintain minimal or no confidence in federal data regarding foreign affairs, environmental matters, political developments, and the conduct of elections. For each of these categories, respondents stated that they trust the provided information "only a little" or "not at all."

Public skepticism extends heavily into contentious social and demographic issues as well. The survey documented comparable majorities expressing low levels of trust in federal pronouncements and statistics regarding abortion access and immigration enforcement. This broad erosion indicates that public doubt is no longer confined to isolated policy disputes, but has instead permeated standard government reporting on critical national matters.

A comparison with historical AP-NORC and USAFacts data from 2019 underscores how sharply credibility has deteriorated over a seven-year span. Disbelief in federal communications has increased across almost every subject measured since that baseline. For instance, public mistrust in government information regarding education climbed from 37% in 2019 to 53% today, driven by a dramatic nine-percentage-point increase over the course of the previous twelve months alone.

The erosion of trust has been exacerbated by eighteen months of persistent administrative reorganization. Thousands of civil servants have been impacted as the administration moved swiftly to curtail bureaucratic operations and reduce agency footprints. This rapid restructuring has generated uncertainty among voters about the neutrality and stability of career personnel responsible for compiling and distributing federal data.

Healthcare and regulatory messaging have similarly faced intense public scrutiny during this period. The administration's shifts on public health guidelines—highlighted by White House executive orders on vaccines alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.—have drawn sharp reactions from critics who view standard health communications as having become increasingly politicized.

Interviews with voters reflect the personal frustration driving these survey numbers. Shannon Ingram, a 46-year-old Democrat residing in Maryland, voiced significant reservations about federal health updates issued since the administration assumed office. Ingram noted that frequent alterations to public guidance make it difficult to rely on official statements, emphasizing that perceived bias among the officials drafting government communications has severely compromised their credibility.

This pervasive atmosphere of doubt poses direct challenges for the administration of democratic processes as the midterm elections draw near. Only 34% of U.S. adults say they place "a great deal" or "quite a bit" of trust in official government certifications of election outcomes. This marks a continued downward slide from 2024, when 40% of respondents expressed high trust in the post-election certification process.

Election certification has historically functioned as a routine, nonpartisan administrative milestone where municipal, county, and state election officials systematically review and verify ballot tallies. However, the procedure has grown intensely polarized and contested following the disputes that emerged after the 2020 presidential contest. The lingering contention surrounding vote tabulation continues to depress public faith in the legitimacy of standard procedural milestones.

The ongoing friction between federal initiatives and state-level governance has further fueled legal and political debates over voting systems. Executive orders attempting to overhaul nationwide election operations have met swift pushback, including federal lawsuits spearheaded by state leaders such as Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, underscoring the deep structural conflicts over institutional authority.

The poll also illustrates a stark partisan divide in how Americans evaluate executive communications. Confidence in federal information has become heavily polarized along party lines since Trump’s initial presidency. While Republican voters demonstrate higher alignment with the administration's stated goals, Democratic confidence in federal reporting has plummeted as administrative changes reshape departments overseeing the environment, energy, and the interior.

As voters prepare to cast ballots in the upcoming midterm contests, the findings present a troubling portrait of a deeply divided electorate operating with scarce consensus on basic facts. With confidence in institutional data continually diminishing, the challenge of building broad public consensus on economic, social, and electoral realities remains one of the most formidable hurdles confronting the nation's governance.