US adults show low trust in federal government information, poll finds
A new survey indicates declining confidence across key issues, with partisan divides widening.
AI-assisted coverage comparison, editor-supervised · How this was made

US adults show low trust in federal government information, poll finds
Photograph: My Mother Lode (embedded from source)
What this story says
- A majority of US adults have little or no trust in federal government information regarding elections, foreign affairs, and the environment.
- Trust in government information about education has increased significantly since 2019.
- Only 34% of US adults trust government certifications of election results, a decrease from 40% in 2024.
- Partisan divides in trust have widened, with Democrats showing lower trust in federal budget information than Republicans.
Who covered it
Percentages are shares of the 22 outlets carrying a published leaning rating. 3 of the 25 outlets we know ran this story carry no rating and are not counted in them. Coverage measured .
Trust
80/100
Craft
87/100
Hype
15/100
25 sources · methodology
Thin on the right so far
Only 2 of the 22 outlets with a published leaning rating that ran this story are rated right.
This story is still being watched, so it is a count and not yet a finding. Coverage keeps arriving for hours after an event, and a side that has published nothing this morning may publish by tonight. If it is still true when we stop checking, we will say so plainly.
A new poll by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and USA Facts indicates that a majority of U.S. adults have low trust in federal government information across several key areas. Approximately six in ten adults reported trusting information on elections and politics, foreign affairs, or the environment only a little or not at all. This marks an increase in skepticism compared to previous years.
Trust in government information concerning education has seen a notable rise, increasing from 37% in 2019 to 53% in the current survey. However, confidence in the government's certification of election results has declined. Only 34% of U.S. adults express a great deal or quite a bit of trust in these certifications, down from 40% in 2024.
Partisan differences in trust
The poll also highlights growing partisan differences in trust. While 61% of Democrats report low trust in information about the federal budget, only 42% of Republicans do. This divergence has widened since previous surveys, particularly under the current administration.
What the coverage left out
None of the left, centre, or right-rated reports mention the specific figure for trust in government information about abortion or immigration, which the full report from My Mother Lode stated was an area where about 6 in 10 U.S. adults have low trust.
Still developing. We have re-checked which outlets are covering this 3 times, most recently on 9 Sept 2026, 15:45, and will add the sides that appear.
How each side covered it
Our own reading of the reporting listed below, written from the outlets’ articles rather than quoted from them. The reasoning is set out on our methodology page.
Left
10 rated outlets
- The left-rated reports led on the overall rise in mistrust of federal government information across major issues. They highlighted that majorities of U.S. adults have little or no trust in information about elections, foreign affairs, and the environment. These reports also noted the decline in trust regarding election result certifications, with only 34% of adults trusting them. The partisan divide was also a focus, with reports mentioning that 61% of Democrats have low trust in federal budget information compared to 42% of Republicans.
Centre
10 rated outlets
- Centre-rated reports focused on the broad finding that Americans are increasingly skeptical of government information, with majorities expressing low trust across key policy areas. They emphasized the specific figures for low trust in information about elections, foreign affairs, and the environment. The increase in trust for education-related information, from 37% in 2019 to 53%, was also a point of emphasis. The decline in trust for election result certifications, from 40% in 2024 to 34%, was also highlighted.
Right
2 rated outlets
- The right-rated reports highlighted the overall finding that Americans are more skeptical of government information than in previous years. They noted that majorities now express little or no trust in federal government information concerning elections and politics, foreign affairs, or the environment. The reports also mentioned the decrease in trust for government certifications of election results.
Questions about this coverage
- How did the left and right cover US adults show low trust in federal government information, poll finds?
- Of the 22 outlets on this story carrying a published leaning rating, 46% are rated left, 45% are rated centre, 9% are rated right. Those percentages are shares of the rated outlets, not of every outlet that ran it, which was 25. The sections above set out what each side emphasised, in its own terms.
- Is US adults show low trust in federal government information, poll finds left or right?
- Neither side dominates it. Of the 22 rated outlets on this story, 46% are rated left, 45% are rated centre, 9% are rated right, and no side holds the 70% this site would want before calling a field one-sided. A story is not left or right in any case; the outlets that carried it are what carry ratings.
- Is the coverage of US adults show low trust in federal government information, poll finds biased?
- US adults show low trust in federal government information, poll finds is one event reported by 25 outlets, and this page does not rate the story as biased or unbiased. What it publishes is the spread: which outlets ran it, where named rating organisations place each of them on the spectrum, and what each side chose to lead with. A leaning rating describes an outlet's record over time, not this article, and the two should not be run together.
- Which side is not reporting US adults show low trust in federal government information, poll finds?
- When we first saw this story, outlets rated right had barely covered it. Coverage accretes for hours after an event, so that is where to look rather than a verdict — the split above is the current count, and it is the one to read.
- Which outlets covered US adults show low trust in federal government information, poll finds?
- 25 that we know of, every one of them listed further up this page with a link to its own report and to what we hold on the publisher. Nothing here is a summary of somebody else's summary: the outlets are named so the original reporting can be read.
- What percentage of US adults trust federal government information?
- A new poll indicates that about six in ten U.S. adults have low trust in federal government information, meaning they trust it only a little or not at all. This skepticism spans major issues including elections, foreign affairs, and the environment.
- How has trust in government information about education changed?
- Trust in federal government information about education has risen significantly. It increased from 37% in 2019 to 53% in the current survey, showing a notable gain in public confidence in this specific area.
- What is the level of trust in election result certifications?
- Only 34% of U.S. adults report trusting government certifications of election results a great deal or quite a bit. This figure represents a decrease from 40% in 2024, indicating growing skepticism about the accuracy of election outcomes.
Read it at the source
25 outlets, grouped by the leaning a published rating gives them. Every headline links to the original; an underlined outlet name opens our profile of that publisher.
Left
10- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, a new poll shows (opens The Sun Chronicle in a new tab)
The Sun Chronicle — is The Sun Chronicle biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens Goshen News in a new tab)
Goshen News — is Goshen News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of U.S. government information rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens The Tribune-Democrat in a new tab)
The Tribune-Democrat — is The Tribune-Democrat biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens St Catharines Standard in a new tab)
St Catharines Standard — is St Catharines Standard biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens The Toronto Star in a new tab)
The Toronto Star — is The Toronto Star biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens The Seattle Times in a new tab)
The Seattle Times — is The Seattle Times biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens Bangor Daily News in a new tab)
Bangor Daily News — is Bangor Daily News biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens Associated Press News in a new tab)
Associated Press News — is Associated Press News biased? Our profile of this outlet
Show 2 more
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens The Record in a new tab)
The Record — is The Record biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens The Hamilton Spectator in a new tab)
The Hamilton Spectator — is The Hamilton Spectator biased? Our profile of this outlet
Centre
10- Mistrust in U.S. Government Information Grows on Key Issues, Poll Reveals (opens WFMZ in a new tab)
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens My Mother Lode in a new tab)
My Mother Lode — is My Mother Lode biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Poll Finds Americans Increasingly Distrust Federal Information Across Major Issues (opens News Facts Network in a new tab)
News Facts Network — is News Facts Network biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of government information is rising across major issues: Poll (opens WCBD in a new tab)
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, n (opens WBAL in a new tab)
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens The Northern Virginia Daily in a new tab)
The Northern Virginia Daily — is The Northern Virginia Daily biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens WBOC 16 in a new tab)
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens KOB 4 in a new tab)
Show 2 more
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens WKMG in a new tab)
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens Winnipeg Free Press in a new tab)
Winnipeg Free Press — is Winnipeg Free Press biased? Our profile of this outlet
Right
2- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows - Regional Media News (opens regionalmedianews.com in a new tab)
regionalmedianews.com — is regionalmedianews.com biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens MY Northwest in a new tab)
MY Northwest — is MY Northwest biased? Our profile of this outlet
Not rated
3- Mistrust in U.S. Government Information Grows on Key Issues, Poll Reveals (opens Independent Español in a new tab)
Independent Español — is Independent Español biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens Loonie Politics in a new tab)
Loonie Politics — is Loonie Politics biased? Our profile of this outlet
- Mistrust of US government information is rising across major issues, new poll shows (opens KXL in a new tab)
How did this read?
About the coverage, not about the story. We do not ask whether you agree with what happened — we have no honest use for that answer.


