As the new federal administration marks its first 100 days in office, nearly half of Americans report diminishing confidence in public health recommendations, according to a national poll released today.
The survey, conducted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the de Beaumont Foundation, reveals 44% of U.S. adults anticipate they will trust health recommendations from federal agencies less than before due to leadership changes, with 30% expecting “a lot less” trust. Only 28% expect their trust to increase.
These findings highlight emerging fault lines in public health confidence that track closely with political affiliation. The majority of Democrats (76%) anticipate losing trust, while most Republicans (57%) expect to gain confidence in health recommendations under new agency leadership.
“New fault lines are emerging in trust for public health agencies,” said Gillian SteelFisher, director of the Harvard Opinion Research Program and principal research scientist at Harvard Chan School. “More people are very concerned than very hopeful about what agencies will be able to do in the next few years and more anticipate losing a lot of trust rather than gaining it.”
The survey of 3,343 adults was conducted between March 10-31, 2025, and carries a margin of error of ±2.0 percentage points.
Americans appear equally divided when assessing the CDC’s future effectiveness. Approximately half (48%) believe the agency will function better in the coming four years than in recent years, while 52% anticipate worse performance. Again, party affiliation heavily influences these perspectives, with 80% of Republicans expecting improvement and 83% of Democrats foreseeing decline.
Among those expecting diminished CDC performance, predominant concerns include politically influenced health recommendations (76% very concerned), excessive program cuts (75%), downplaying important health problems like infectious disease outbreaks (72%), and reduced access to critical health information such as vaccine data (70%).
Conversely, even those anticipating improved CDC function appear only moderately confident in positive outcomes. Only one-third or fewer express strong confidence in the agency’s ability to reduce financial waste (33%), make health recommendations based on previously ignored quality research (28%), or focus more on primary health problems like chronic illnesses (27%).
Despite these divisions, the poll identified several health priorities with substantial bipartisan support for the next four years. Both Republicans and Democrats largely agree that preventing chronic diseases, protecting against potential pandemic viruses, reducing maternal and infant mortality, and ensuring safe drinking water should be top priorities for the CDC and local health departments.
“Americans are more united than divided about the health issues they want the administration to prioritize,” said Brian C. Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation. “These findings are a call to action to fund what works, fix what doesn’t, and find ways to work together to address these shared concerns.”
The survey also suggests overall trust in the CDC remains relatively stable following the COVID-19 pandemic, with 77% of adults reporting they have a great deal (38%) or some (39%) trust in CDC health recommendations. The challenge for new agency leadership will be maintaining this foundation of trust while navigating a deeply divided public landscape.
For public health officials, these results present both challenges and opportunities. While partisan perceptions of federal health agencies appear increasingly entrenched, the substantial bipartisan agreement on key health priorities offers potential common ground for cooperation in addressing America’s most pressing health concerns.
The research, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the de Beaumont Foundation, provides a snapshot of public sentiment as federal health agencies undergo transitions that could significantly shape their approach, priorities, and public messaging strategies in the coming years.
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