Americans' confidence in their own healthcare providers remains high, according to a longitudinal, nationally representative survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania from April 2021 to August 2026.
In contrast, confidence in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as sources of trustworthy public health information has declined significantly since the beginning of President Donald J. Trump's second term and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.'s confirmation as Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary overseeing these agencies in February 2025, with the decline occurring in 2025.
This year, prior to the August 2026 survey, both FDA commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and the agency's vaccine and biologics division head, Dr. Vinay Prasad, left the agency. Makary stepped down in May and Prasad resigned in March. Other major departures from leading U.S. public health agencies include two in August 2025. The CDC director, Dr. Susan Monarez , was fired and the CDC's deputy director and chief medical officer, Dr. Debra Houry , resigned.
Since completion of the current survey, Trump nominated Dr. Heidi Overton to become the new FDA commissioner. Overton is deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.
"It is critical for the public to have a reliable source for healthcare information," said Ken Winneg, APPC's managing director of survey research, "so it's a relief to see high and consistent trust in their personal healthcare providers."
The current survey was conducted Aug. 4-17, 2026, among 1,904 U.S. adults. See the end of this news release and the topline
