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Trust in American Institutions: Evolving Perspectives Since Trump’s Return

May 22, 2025

By: James Clasper

Introduction

In the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election, which saw Donald Trump return to the White House, Americans’ trust in their institutions remains a critical barometer of national sentiment. To track these evolving attitudes, we conducted three surveys: the first in August 2024, before the election, the second in December 2024, immediately after it, and most recently in May 2025 — marking 100 days into President Trump’s second term.

This seguential approach enables track us to how public sentiment toward major institutions — including branches of government, media, business, and non-profit organizations — has shifted in response to the election and the early actions of the new administration.

Key Findings

Institutional Trust: Corporations Lag

One trend has remained strikingly consistent across all three surveys: large corporations rank dead last among major institutions when it comes to public trust.

According to the May 2025 data:

Corporate Trust Deficit: Large corporations remain America‘s least trusted institution
- Only 3% of respondents selected large corporations as the institution they “trust the most” to tell the truth — down from 5% in December but matching the August 2024 level
- Among 65-75-year-olds, just 1% place the most trust in large corporations down from 3%) — compared to 7% of 35-44-year-olds.

Our exploration of trust in major institutions revealed other consistent patterns:

Faith-Based Trust: Churches and organized religion remain America’s most trusted institutions
Service and Community: The medical system and small/medium-sized enterprises secure second and third positions respectively
- SMEs now rank as the most trusted institutions among 25—35-year-olds (up from third place in December)

Presidential See-Saw: Trust in the White House has risen 10 percentage points among Republicans since August (from 7 to 17%) — but halved among Democrats in the same timeframe (falling from 16% to 8%).

Analysis

Despite their economic influence and innovation contributions, large corporations struggle to earn public trust.

This may reflect concerns about profit-driven priorities, workforce reductions, automation, or perceived political influence.

Trust appears increasingly reserved for institutions perceived as community-oriented or socially responsible.

Presidential Leadership: Diplomacy Rules

Our survey reveals a significant evolution in Americans’ preferred presidential background or archetype:

The Diplomat’s Rise: Support for diplomatic leadership increased by 8 percentage points across our three surveys, reaching 32% — the most substantial change observed in this category
- Support for this background has risen by 6 percentage points since December
Stable Alternatives: Other leadership backgrounds including lawyers/judges, congressional representatives, and military leaders maintained relatively consistent support levels
Corporate Leadership: The CEO option gained 4 percentage points among 35–44-year-olds between December 2024 and May 2025, becoming the second most popular choice within this demographic
- The CEO profile remains the preferred choice among Republican respondents — perhaps because of this archetype’s perceived business acumen, management ability or outsider status.

Analysis

The growing preference for diplomatic leadership suggests Americans increasingly value negotiation skills, international cooperation, and tactful governance — possibly reflecting concerns about geopolitical tensions and domestic polarization.

Presidential Qualities: Integrity Matters

When asked about essential presidential qualities, respondents consistently prioritized character over competence:

Truthfulness Above All: Integrity/Honesty maintained its position as the most valued presidential quality across all three survey waves — and saw a 7 percentage point rise between December 2024 and May 2025
Gender Gaps: Among men, Integrity/Honesty has 9 percentage points since December — to 55%. Among women, it has risen 5 points — to 61%
Age Considerations: Three-quarters of respondents aged 65-75 now rank Integrity/Honesty as the most important quality (up from 66% in December) — compared to 62% of those aged 45-64 (up from 54%)
Bipartisan Support: Integrity/Honesty remains the most important quality among Republicans — up 6 points since December (from 46% to 52%). Among Democrats, this quality rose 7 points in the same period (from 52% to 59%)
Character Emphasis: While percentage changes were modest, character-based traits gained ground compared to pragmatic qualities like Competence or Experience
- Humility increased by 5 percentage points between December 2024 and May 2025, while Compassion rose by 4 percentage points

Analysis

The data suggests a sustained public desire for ethical leadership. In an era of heightened skepticism, values like honesty and transparency appear increasingly influential in shaping voter preferences.

Conclusion

This dynamic landscape of trust and leadership preferences reveals deeper currents in American political consciousness —and an evolving perspective:

There is a growing demand for diplomatic temperament and moral character in leadership
Institutions with public—service missions garner more trust than those perceived as profit-motivated
The electorate demonstrates more value-driven decision-making than partisan narratives might suggest

In short, these findings offer valuable insights for political actors, institutional leaders, and corporations seeking to rebuild trust in an increasingly skeptical society.

The August survey took place 19–25 August 2024 and involved 1,367 respondents. The December survey took place 2–8 December 2024 and involved 1,278 respondents. The May survey took place 30 April–11 May and involved 1,126 respondents.

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