Americans are increasingly skeptical of information issued by the federal government, according to a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USAFacts. The mistrust reaches across elections, foreign policy, immigration, abortion and environmental policy.
Even election certification is losing confidence
Only 34% of adults expressed strong confidence in the government’s certification of election results, down from 40% in 2024. Nearly half said they worry about tampering or pressure on election officials, while trust in campaign claims remains dismal across party lines.
The results are sharply partisan. Democratic confidence in federal information has fallen during Trump’s second term, while Republican confidence has improved modestly. Independents remain deeply skeptical.
The receipt problem
Government information only works when the public believes the numbers were not assembled in a back room beside a broken fax machine. When guidance changes, agencies are dismantled or experts are pushed out, people do not politely separate policy from credibility. They put everything into one suspicious folder.
The poll does not prove that every government statement is false. It demonstrates that the institution delivering the information has a trust problem—and that problem makes emergencies, elections and public policy harder to manage.
Gen X was raised on “trust but verify,” corporate hold music and adults insisting the check was in the mail. Skepticism is not new. What is new is how few shared referees remain when facts themselves become partisan merchandise.
Facts first. Side-eye included.
DJF separates what is confirmed from what is claimed—and tells you why this particular mess is worth your time.
Dana Side-Eye
Receipts, Rumors & Internet NonsenseDana reads the fine print, checks the timeline, and keeps one eyebrow permanently raised. She covers viral claims, internet pile-ons, and suspiciously convenient explanations.
“Screenshots are forever. So is the side-eye.”