CDC's public image craters yet again under RFK Jr.: Gallup
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The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions' public image has plunged to a record low under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a new Gallup report found.
Why it matters: The decline marks a loss of trust after the Trump administration's politicization of one of the world's preeminent public health agencies.
By the numbers: In the September poll, 42% of respondents rated the CDC as "poor", the highest number ever.
- Another 11% rated the agency's work as "excellent;" 20% said "good," and 25% said "fair."
- Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC was very popular, with about two-thirds of respondents ranking it excellent or good in 2019 and 2017.
Driving the news: The Trump administration has overhauled health policy, funding and research, while ousting Trump-appointed CDC director Susan Monarez, less than a month after her confirmation.
- The administration cited Monarez's alleged misalignment with the "Make America Healthy Again" agenda, while she has said she was pushed out for her resistance to politically directed changes in vaccine decision-making.
- Former CDC directors warned about the administration's threats to public health from political interference.
- On Monday, the CDC approved recommendations by Kennedy's vaccine advisers, which signaled an official lack of confidence in the safety and efficacy of vaccines.
What they're saying: White House spokesperson Kush Desai said Thursday, "The Trump administration is focused on restoring the public's trust and accountability in public health bodies by re-establishing and Gold Standard Science as the only factor behind policymaking."
- Desai also said that confidence of the CDC collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic — which marked a significant downturn in the agency's public image.
- The CDC did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
The intrigue: The CDC has similarly low ratings among both Democrats and Republicans.
- 29% of Republicans and right-leaning independents and 34% of Democrats and left-leaning independents said the agency is doing an "excellent" or "good" job.
Yes, but: From 2024 to 2025, Democratic ratings of the CDC decreased by 31 percentage points.
- Meanwhile, Republicans' ranking of the agency increased by 10 percentage points.
The big picture: Americans' approval ratings for other federal agencies, including FEMA, CIA, FDA, EPA and the IRS, also dropped sharply since last year.
- Many are near or at their lowest approval levels since Gallup started the survey in 2003.
- Only the Department of Homeland Security bucked that trend, rising to 42% ranking it excellent or good. It is the only agency Americans rated better than in 2024, though it remains far below its 59% high in 2017.
Go deeper:
- Most Americans unsure about Trump Tylenol warning
- Americans' ratings for key federal agencies plunge: poll
Methodology: The Gallup poll, conducted via telephone interviews, surveyed 1,000 adults nationwide between Sept. 2-16. The margin of error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.
Editor's note: This story was updated with comment from the White House.
