Americans trust their doctors while second-guessing distant intermediaries—now more than ever

The general public is smiling at local healthcare providers while snarling at federal healthcare agencies, according to a survey report posted Aug. 31 by Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. 

In fact, the confidence gap between the two doubled during 2025 and may only be widening in 2026.

Annenberg analysts reported the finding after commissioning market research firm SSRS to survey a nationally representative sample set of almost 2,000 adults from early- to mid-August. 

Tabulating the results, the analysts found 87% of respondents feeling confident that their primary healthcare provider is providing trustworthy information about matters of public health.

The team notes this figure is statistically equivalent to its prior showing, 88% in September 2024. 

Nearly half the field, 46%, are very confident in their provider while 42% are somewhat confident. Only 8% have no confidence in their provider, and 4% have no provider. 

Plummeting confidence in all things HHS 

In stark contrast, respondents’ confidence in the CDC, FDA and NIH to give the public trustworthy public-health information fell like a stone over the same period—from 76% in 2024 to 64% in 2026. 

More details about the falloff: 

• CDC: In August 2026, 61% expressed confidence in the CDC, significantly below the 72% who expressed confidence in the CDC in September 2024. “The proportion of people who say they are ‘very confident’ in the CDC declined significantly from 29% in September 2024 to 13% in August 2026,” the Annenberg analysts write. 
   
• FDA: Confidence in the FDA is 59% in August 2026, also significantly below the 73% expressing confidence in September 2024. “The proportion of people who say they are very confident in the FDA declined significantly from 23% in September 2024 to 11% in August 2026 as well,” Annenberg reports. 
   
• NIH: Confidence in the NIH also declined significantly to 61% in August 2026 from 74% in September 2024. “The proportion of people who say they are very confident in the NIH declined significantly from 27% in September 2024 to 12% in August 2026 as well.”

Revolving doors don’t help matters 

The Annenberg analysts note that, this year—prior to the August 2026 survey—both FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, and the agency’s vaccine and biologics division head, Vinay Prasad, MD, left the agency. 

“Other major departures from leading U.S. public health agencies include two in August 2025,” they write, noting that CDC Director Susan Monarez, MD, was fired and CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, MD, resigned.

After the present survey was finished, Trump nominated White House Domestic Policy Deputy Director Heidi Overton, MD, as FDA commissioner. 

In a news release, Ken Winneg, PhD, Annenberg’s managing director of survey research, remarks that it is “critical for the public to have a reliable source for healthcare information, so it’s a relief to see high and consistent trust in their personal healthcare providers.”

However, research analyst Laura Gibson, PhD, adds, “We don’t see evidence in our data that the Trump administration is restoring trust in the federal health agencies.”

And Patrick Jamieson, PhD, director of Annenberg’s Health and Risk Communication Institute, which oversees the health surveys, comments: 

“It is concerning to see the gap between confidence in the federal public health agencies and confidence in healthcare providers double over the course of 2025 and not recover since.”  

Topline report here, news release here.