Trust in CDC Falls to 50% in New National Poll

Overview

• A poll of 2,205 U.S. adults released June 9 found that only 50% of Americans now trust the CDC's health recommendations, down from about 77% in spring 2025.
• The decline appears across most demographic groups, with Republican respondents the only major group showing a small rise in CDC trust this year.
• About two-thirds of respondents said they believe federal health recommendations are influenced by leaders' personal beliefs and that agencies have shifted priorities or cut programs.
• People report more trust in local and state health departments and in independent medical associations than in federal agencies, though trust in those local bodies has also slipped.
• Experts point to political leadership changes, pandemic-era polarization and social media misinformation as drivers, and say the split in trusted messengers could weaken coordinated responses to outbreaks and shift responsibility to state and private actors.