CDC Trust Among Americans Drops Sharply to 50 Percent, Poll Shows
A new poll from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation found that trust in the CDC fell from 77% to 50% among U.S. adults between spring 2025 and early 2026. The decline coincides with the second Trump administration's sweeping changes to federal health agencies, including leadership overhauls under HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The findings raise concerns among public health experts about the country's ability to mount a unified response to future disease outbreaks.
The poll, conducted between March 19 and April 1, 2026, surveyed approximately 2,200 U.S. adults and found that only 50% now trust CDC health recommendations, down sharply from 77% in 2025. The decline was broad-based, cutting across gender, race, education level, and geography, with the notable exception of Republican voters, whose trust in the CDC slightly increased from 63% to 67%. Democrats saw the steepest drop, falling from 92% to just 34% expressing trust in the agency. The shift follows significant changes at federal health agencies under the Trump administration, including the firing of vaccine scientists, senior CDC leadership departures, reduced coordination with the WHO, and alterations to childhood vaccine recommendations and dietary guidelines under HHS Secretary RFK Jr. Trust in the FDA and NIH also fell, with only 53% of respondents expressing confidence in those agencies, while non-governmental health organizations such as the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society retained trust levels of 80% or more. About 60% of all adults said the government has gone too far in cutting health and medical research funding, and 68% believe CDC recommendations are now influenced by leaders' personal beliefs rather than scientific consensus.
What's missing
The poll does not address whether declining trust in the CDC is translating into measurable changes in health behaviors, such as vaccination rates or adherence to public health guidance, which would clarify the real-world impact of the trust erosion.
How coverage differed
PBS NewsHour provided the most extensive coverage, including critical quotes from poll authors and outside experts, and noted a potential methodological concern — that trust questions were asked after explicitly political framing questions, which may have amplified partisan responses. Scientific American emphasized the specific policy actions under the Trump administration driving the decline, such as vaccine scientist firings and WHO disengagement, lending its framing a stronger science-advocacy tone.
What different sources said
- Scientific AmericanCenter
Americans’ trust in the CDC has plummeted since 2025, new poll finds
- Medical XpressCenter
Poll: Trust in CDC has fallen dramatically in the last year
- The HillCenter
Poll: Trust in federal health agencies dropped sharply during Trump's first year
- PBS NewsHourLeft
Only half of U.S. adults trust the CDC's public health recommendations, poll finds
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