Morning Note

It’s never a good sign when virtually every American believes the federal government and elected officials are colluding to enrich themselves at the expense of voters and taxpayers.

But in today’s world, where the sitting president has increased his net worth by over $2 billion via a shady crypto venture, that’s to be expected. 

A new Gallup survey released Wednesday found that almost 90% of Americans believe government corruption is widespread. The number marks a 20-year high and a 10% increase from 2025. 

In 2024, 57% of Democrats believed corruption was bad. But that number has surged during the second Trump administration to 91%. During the final year of the Biden administration, 87% of Republicans believed corruption was widespread. In 2026, that number dipped to 83%. 

Notably, the number of independents who believe the government is corrupt also increased between 2024 and 2026, jumping from 78% to 90%. 

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