Millionaire politicians, scams, and scandals-there is little trust in U.S. politicians.

Some cite President Donald Trump going from a net worth of around  US$2 billion in 2016 to $8 billion in 2026 as a point of note.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 89 per cent of U.S. adults believe government corruption is widespread, the highest level in 20 years.

As many as 91 per cent of Democrats say government corruption is a major problem, with 83 per cent of Republicans holding the same perception.

“We have unprecedented actions by the U.S. President and this government that are, in fact, corrupt, right?  By that I mean the strict definition of using public authority for private gain, right? In reality, there’s corruption. And then you look at Europe, and you don’t hear a lot of stories about corruption,” said the Director of the U.S. office at Transparency International, Gary Kalman. 

As many as 71 per cent of Americans believe there is corruption in business, 8 per cent higher than last year.

Some commentators believe the perception of government corruption is due in part to the Trump administration bypassing Congress a number of times. 

It is disconcerting if Americans do not have faith in the Government and its integrity. 

“This Gallup poll ought to concern all Americans,” said Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn.

The Gallup poll noted: “Americans perception government corruption in the U.S. are their highest level in 20 years, with 89 per cent of U.S. adults saying it is widespread. That figure is up 10 percentage points from last year and well above readings in the 72 to 79 per cent range between 2010 and 2025.

According to the Brennan Centre for Justice at New York University, Americans believe corruption is a serious problem throughout politics and government. 

“On the one side there is a strong drumbeat from the Democrats calling out the President’s corruption and his actions. On the flip side, you have the President and the Republicans talking about how there’s corruption on the other side, and the reason that the President needs to act so boldly in their opinion, is that the Democrats have been corrupting the system for so long.

“When you look at the problems facing the country right now, I think what they’re seeing is the Government ignoring it. People look at inflation, and they don’t say, ‘Oh, you know Amazon is jacking up its prices. They’re going, ‘Oh, the tariffs and the war are jacking up my  prices.”‘