Nearly half of Americans don't trust public health officials' understanding of coronavirus

Forty-nine percent of U.S. voters don't trust public health officials understand how to defeat the coronavirus, according to a new Just the News Daily Poll with Scott Rasmussen. The poll found that 45% of American voters do trust that public health officials really understand the coronavirus and what policies are needed to overcome it.

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Just the News Daily Poll

With Scott Rasmussen

"Voter confidence in public health officials is decidedly mixed – 45% express some confidence and 49% a lack of confidence," Rasmussen said. "But most of the responses are lukewarm. Only 13% are Very Confident and 18% Not at All Confident."

On Wednesday, Just the News reported about an erosion of public trust, including 10 things the public health establishment got wrong about coronavirus. From the start, the public health establishment has projected an air of certitude in its advice and policy prescriptions on COVID-19 belied by a record of error on many of the central questions.

"Perhaps the biggest surprise in all of our questions this week is the fact that there is that there is no gap between Republicans and Democrats," Rasmussen said. "Forty-nine percent (49%) in both parties express some confidence in the ability of public health officials. Given how politicized every aspect of the pandemic has become, I expected to see a partisan gap."

Rasmussen noted, however, that there is a difference when it comes to Independent voters. Only 35% of these voters are even Somewhat Confident that the public health officials know what policies are needed to overcome the pandemic.

Just the News Daily Poll respondents were asked “How confident are you that public health officials really understand the coronavirus and what policies are needed to overcome it?" They replied as below:

• 13% Very Confident
• 32% Somewhat Confident
• 31% Not Very Confident
• 18% Not At All Confident
•   6% Not Sure

The national survey of 1,200 registered voters was conducted June 11-13, 2020 by Rasmussen, a polling veteran. Margin of sampling error: +/- 2.8% for full sample. 

To see the full demographic cross-tabulations for this polling question, click below:

To see the methodology and sample demographics for this polling question, click below: