Trust in the federal government hasn’t really improved — it’s just flipped sides.
A new Marquette Law School Poll shows Republicans and Democrats have essentially traded places in their confidence in Washington since President Trump returned to office. It is another reminder that, these days, trust has less to do with institutions and more to do with who’s running them.
During the Biden years, 31% of Democrats said they trusted the government all or most of the time, compared with just 12% of Republicans. Now those numbers have almost perfectly reversed: 31% of Republicans say they trust the government that much, while only 10% of Democrats do.
Overall, just 18% of adults say they trust the federal government to do what’s right all or most of the time. Nineteen percent say they never trust it, and the remaining 63% say they trust it only some of the time, according to the June 9-15 survey of 1,514 adults. The margin of error is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.
That skepticism is part of a long slide.
Back in 1958, 73% of Americans said they trusted the federal government all or most of the time, according to the American National Election Study. By 1980, that had dropped to 25% and has never bounced back.
The partisan gap was also much narrower then: In 1968, under President Lyndon B. Johnson, 65% of Democrats and 59% of Republicans said they trusted the government. Even in 1988, under President Ronald Reagan, the split was 48% of Republicans and 35% of Democrats.
Confidence varies widely depending on the institution.
Doctors rank highest, with 70% of Americans saying they have a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in their physician. The military follows at 55%, then the police at 45%, and local schools at 40%.
At the bottom: Congress, where 53% say they have very little or no confidence; companies developing artificial intelligence at 57%; and Facebook at 71%.
Looking ahead to the 2026 midterms, Democrats hold a 2‑point edge on the generic congressional ballot among registered voters — and an 8‑point lead among likely voters, the poll found.
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