A new Fox News poll released Wednesday paints a stark picture of American confidence in Washington: only one in four registered voters now say they generally trust the federal government—the lowest level recorded in more than two decades.
The survey, conducted June 12-15 among 1,002 registered voters, found that 25 percent expressed trust in the federal government, while 74 percent said they do not. One percent were unsure. This marks a sharp drop from 32 percent in the two previous summers, which spanned the final six months of the Biden administration and the early months of the second Trump term.
Trust had hovered in the mid-to-low 30s since June 2013, with a previous record low of 31 percent in late June 2023—just weeks after President Trump was indicted on 37 federal charges for allegedly mishandling classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate. The current figure is the lowest since Fox News began tracking the metric in 2002, when more than half of voters trusted the government under President George W. Bush. That number has not exceeded 40 percent since the second Obama administration.
Distrust Deepens Across Party Lines
Distrust is now pervasive, but it cuts differently by party. Eighty-three percent of Democrats said they do not trust the federal government, up from 73 percent last year. Among Republicans, about two-thirds expressed distrust, while roughly one-third said the opposite. Independents are the most skeptical: 80 percent are distrustful, with only 18 percent expressing trust—unchanged from a year ago.
The erosion of trust comes as a warning sign for the Trump administration ahead of the November midterms, with economic anxiety driving much of the discontent. More than half of voters hold a pessimistic view of the economy and believe Trump’s policies disproportionately benefit the wealthy. Only 12 percent say they are getting ahead financially, while 44 percent feel they are falling behind and 43 percent report “holding steady.”
Economic Turmoil and the Iran Conflict
The poll’s release coincides with ongoing economic fallout from the war with Iran, which has rattled markets and household budgets. President Trump has repeatedly promised relief once the Middle East conflict is resolved, telling reporters in France on Wednesday, “I didn’t want to see economic catastrophe. If you kept this going, that could have happened,” according to Reuters.
The stock market rebounded and crude oil prices fell after the announcement of a deal with Tehran, including the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. However, the broader impact on public trust remains uncertain. For deeper context on the deal’s implications, see Republican concerns over secrecy and nuclear loopholes in the Iran agreement.
The poll’s margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. The findings underscore a broader crisis of confidence that has been building for years, raising questions about the durability of democratic institutions. As the Framers’ vision of a government accountable to the people faces new challenges, the debate over reclaiming public power for the common good grows more urgent.
