Gallup: 89% of Americans see widespread government corruption, a 20-year high that places the U.S. above every OECD peer
Institutional confidence is a priced variable in any sovereign capital market. A new Gallup survey found 89% of U.S. adults now believe government corruption is widespread, a 20-year peak and a 10-point jump from last year,…
Key takeaways
- A Gallup survey found 89% of U.S. adults believe government corruption is widespread, a 20-year peak and a 10-point jump from last year.
- U.S. perceived corruption now ranks above every other OECD member country for the first time on record.
- The sharpest shift came from Democrats, who rose to 91% from 57% in 2024, while Independents rose to 90% and Republicans held roughly steady near 80%.
- President Trump reported more than $2.2 billion in income in the first year of his second term, up from roughly $600 million in 2024, much of it from non-traditional holdings including a cryptocurrency business.
- Across the OECD's 38 members, median perceived corruption fell from 69% in 2009 to below 60% since 2022, leaving the U.S. above the entire field.
Institutional confidence is a priced variable in any sovereign capital market. A new Gallup survey found 89% of U.S. adults now believe government corruption is widespread, a 20-year peak and a 10-point jump from last year, placing perceived American corruption above every other member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development for the first time on record.
The prior range in Gallup's annual data, which stretches to 2005 with at least 1,000 Americans surveyed each year, sat between 72% and 79% from 2010 through 2025. The sharpest move came from Democrats: 91% now say corruption is widespread, against 57% when President Biden was in office in 2024 and 76% in the first year of Trump's first term. Independents rose to 90%, a 12-point increase since 2024.
The cross-border read-through
Against the backdrop of that sentiment shift, the financial entanglement at the executive level has drawn sustained attention. President Trump reported income of more than $2.2 billion in the first year of his second term, against roughly $600 million in 2024. A substantial portion flows from non-traditional holdings, including a cryptocurrency business. An investment firm tied to the United Arab Emirates acquired close to half of Trump's main crypto firm, drawing accusations of potential foreign influence over U.S. policy. Trump has also introduced a subscription plan offering early access to his Truth Social posts, which can move markets.
Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland released a report in November concluding that Trump and his family benefitted materially from rolling back crypto regulations designed to protect Americans from fraud and scams. Democrats have separately criticized the president for accepting a $400 million jet from Qatar. Congressional lawmakers have faced growing scrutiny for gains made trading stocks while in office.
The White House pushed back through spokesman Davis Ingle, who said Trump had "launched an all-out war on fraud across the entire federal government, holding criminals accountable and saving taxpayers billions of dollars," and attributed congressional inaction to the opposition party.
Against the OECD baseline
Republican sentiment has moved differently. Around 80% of Republicans say corruption is widespread today, roughly in line with 87% in 2024, a relatively steady reading that stands apart from the partisan swings on the Democratic side.
The OECD comparison sets that in relief. Across the bloc's 38 member countries, the median level of perceived corruption fell from 69% in 2009 to below 60% since 2022. The U.S. now sits above that entire field. Since 2023, only Lebanon, Peru, Ghana, and Nigeria have scored higher in Gallup's global survey. The 2026 cross-country dataset remains incomplete because Gallup polls each country separately across the year, leaving the full scale of the divergence unresolved until the final numbers are in.
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