Polls Show Record American Distrust in Federal Government

Recent national polling indicates a historic peak in American distrust of the federal government. A Gallup poll conducted between May and June found that 89% of Americans believe government corruption is widespread, the highest level in 20 years and a 10-percentage-point increase from the previous year. This sentiment is most pronounced among Democrats, whose perception of widespread corruption rose to 91%, and Independents, who reached 90%.

Donald Trump is a central figure in this decline in trust. A UMass Amherst poll conducted in late August found that 75% of respondents believe there is a great deal of corruption in the federal government, with more than half identifying the president as the most corrupt institution. Specifically, 54% of those surveyed doubt he will avoid using his office to benefit his family's business interests, following disclosures of approximately $1.4 billion in family earnings from cryptocurrency ventures.

Beyond the presidency, corruption concerns extend to government employees. The House Oversight Committee is currently probing the use of prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket for insider trading. This investigation follows a Commodity Futures Trading Commission fine of approximately $172,000 against Gabriel Perez Silva, a White House teleprompter operator who used advance access to presidential speeches to place bets.