89% of Americans say government corruption is widespread
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Americans' perceptions of government corruption have hit a 20-year high following President Trump's return to office, a new Gallup survey found.
Why it matters: The results signal a deepening crisis of confidence in the federal government as trust in U.S. institutions already hovers near an all-time low.
By the numbers: 89% of U.S. adults say government corruption is widespread, Gallup found.
- That's a 10-point increase from last year and well above the 72%–79% range between 2010 and 2025.
Democrats are driving most of the rise, jumping to 91% this year after sitting at 76% during the first year of Trump's term.
- In 2024, when President Biden was still in office, 57% of Democrats said government corruption was widespread.
- About 90% of independents think corruption is widespread, up 12 points since 2024.
Between the lines: Trump raked in more than $2.2 billion in the first year of his second term.
- In 2024, he reported making about $600 million. A substantial share of Trump's income comes from non-traditional business holdings, like his cryptocurrency business.
- He faced criticism after an investment firm tied to the United Arab Emirates bought almost half of his main crypto firm, prmopting accusations of potential foreign influence over U.S. policy.
- He's also making money from a new plan to offer early access to his Truth Social posts, which can move markets.
Zoom out: Congressional lawmakers have repeatedly called out what they say are conflicts of interests.
- Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) released a report in November that concluded Trump and his family significantly benefitted from rolling back crypto regulations designed to protect Americans from fraud and scams.
- Democrats have also criticized the president for accepting lavish gifts, including a $400 million Qatari jet.
- It's also not just the president — congressional lawmakers have faced growing scrutiny for making head-turning sums trading stocks while in office.
What they're saying: "President Trump has launched an all-out war on fraud across the entire federal government, holding criminals accountable and saving taxpayers billions of dollars," White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in an emailed statement.
- "The Democrats in Congress have refused to do anything to stop waste, fraud, and abuse in our government."
Zoom in: Republicans have held a much steadier view of government corruption.
- About eight in 10 say corruption is widespread, relatively on par with 2024 levels, when 87% said the same.
- Republicans' consistent reading suggests this feeling is widespread regardless of which political party is in power.
The big picture: While citizens in many developed nations feel their governments are becoming less corrupt, Americans are experiencing the exact opposite trend.
- Among the 38 member countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the median level of perceived government corruption has fallen from 69% in 2009 to below 60% since 2022.
- For the first time ever, the U.S. now tops perceived corruption ratings by comparison to the other countries in the OECD. Since 2023, just four other countries that Gallup has surveyed have scored higher than the U.S., including Lebanon, Peru, Ghana and Nigeria.
- The data for 2026 isn't complete because Gallup conducts their polling on a country-by-country basis over the year, so that massive gap could grow wider this year.
Methodology: Gallup surveyed at least 1,000 Americans every year since 2005 to reach these results. It also surveyed between 500 and more than 3,000 people in other countries to measure sentiment across the other OECD countries.
Go deeper: Trump's profits irk Americans as Dems test anti-corruption message
