Public trust in US health agencies falls under Trump—confidence in AHA still quite high
Americans have more confidence in the American Heart Association (AHA) and other non-government health organizations than federal agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
That is according to a new survey of more than 1,600 U.S. adults conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania in February 2026.
“These findings reflect a clear divergence in how Americans view federal health agencies versus major professional health associations,” Laura A. Gibson, a senior data analyst with the APPC, said in a statement.
8 in 10 Americans have confidence in the American Heart Association
According to the APPC survey, Americans trust the AHA more than any source of public health information outside of their own personal physicians. While 82% of Americans are confident in the AHA, confidence in the CDC and FDA came in at 60% and 62%, respectively.
“We are grateful that the Annenberg survey reflects continued strong confidence in public health organizations like ours that remained grounded in science,” Nancy Brown, AHA CEO, said in a separate statement. “That trust is never taken for granted and is earned every day by our volunteer scientists, clinicians and leaders who, along with our dedicated professional staff, community volunteers and our donors, uphold the highest standards of evidence and integrity. We are also grateful for our many collaborators who share a desire to overcome health misinformation and work with us every day on behalf of everyone everywhere to educate Americans and ultimately improve heart and brain health for all.”
Another key takeaway from the new survey was the fact that 67% of Americans have confidence in career scientists who work for the FDA, CMS and other federal agencies. When it comes to the actual agencies, that number drops to 43%. Meanwhile, confidence in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came in at 38% and confidence in CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, was 42%.
These different confidence levels could stand to make a significant impact on public health matters. For example, when it comes to researching such sensitive topics as vaccine safety or safe alcohol consumption, the APPC noted, these data suggest Americans will trust recommendations from major health organizations more than federal agencies.
Public confidence in federal agencies down 2026 compared to 2024
The APPC noted that Americans have been significantly less confident in federal agencies during the Trump Administration than they were during the final year of the Biden administration. Confidence that the CDC is sharing trustworthy information about public health, for example, dropped from 76% in February 2024 to 60% in February 2026.
Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.