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What's New
Americans' confidence in the U.S. judicial system has fallen to a record low of 35%, according to a new Gallup poll.
This marks a sharp 24-point drop over the last four years, setting the U.S. apart from other wealthy nations where trust in judicial systems remains higher on average.
The survey, conducted through telephone interviews with 1,000 U.S. adults from June 28 to Aug. 1, highlights a growing lack of confidence across political lines.
Why It Matters
The decline in trust follows major judicial events in recent years, including the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which ended nationwide protections for abortion.
The tumultuous period included the indictment of former President Donald Trump and the subsequent withdrawal of federal charges, and his attacks on the integrity of the judicial system.
The drop wasn't limited to one end of the political spectrum: confidence dropped among people who disapproved of the country's leadership during Joe Biden's presidency and among those who approved, according to Gallup.
The judicial system's steep loss of trust also stands out globally, with only a handful of countries experiencing sharper declines.
They include a 46-point drop in Myanmar during the period that overlapped the return of military rule in 2021 and a 35-point drop in Venezuela amid deep economic and political turmoil from 2012 to 2016.
There was a 28-point drop in Syria in the run-up and early years of its civil war.
What to Know
Confidence dropped 17 points among those disapproving of Biden's leadership, likely influenced by Trump's legal battles.
Among Biden supporters, confidence fell 18 points between 2023 and 2024, following rulings perceived as favoring Trump.
Other Gallup findings have shown that Democrats' confidence dropped by 25 points between 2021 and 2022, after the Supreme Court overturned abortion protections.
Their trust climbed a bit, to 34%, in 2023, but dropped again to 24% in 2024.
The change comes after a Supreme Court opinion that Trump and other former presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution.
Republican confidence in the Supreme Court rose to 71% in 2024.
Federal government trust also declined to 26% over four years, a 20-point drop that, while significant, is less severe than the erosion of confidence in the courts.
What People Are Saying
A poll in June by Ipsos showed that Republicans were losing trust in the Supreme Court.
Chris Jackson, senior vice president of Ipsos' public affairs, told Newsweek at the time that the decline in Republican trust was largely fueled by former President Donald Trump's criticisms of the judiciary.
Amid his four criminal cases and several civil cases, the presumptive 2024 GOP nominee for president has vocally criticized not only the prosecutors bringing the cases against him but also the judges who have ruled against him.
In New York, Trump has attacked Judges Juan Merchan, Arthur Engoron and Lewis Kaplan over rulings unfavorable to him and the Trump Organization, accusing them of being "corrupt" and "conflicted."
"We see a broad-based decline of trust in all facets of the judiciary among Republicans," Jackson said. "My guess, supported by the data, is that this is the fruits of the efforts to undermine the credibility of the legal system by Donald Trump and his allies. Most people, and it appears many Republicans, don't differentiate from the Supreme Court vs. the New York criminal courts. For Trump supporters, it's all 'the system' and it's all 'corrupt.'"
What Happens Next
The Supreme Court includes several older justices who may need to be replaced during Trump's term.
This could shift the Court's ideological balance and influence public satisfaction with the court.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
