In the 2020 election, Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by promising to restore faith in democracy and government. Four years later, Vice President Harris tried to follow a similar narrative in her bid to become the nation's first female president, but she faced a backlash from voters more focused on tangible results than political rhetoric.
According to a new post-election poll from George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, trust in government took a sharp decline after the election, with 39% of voters reporting a loss of confidence. Despite this, Americans favored Trump’s emphasis on action over Harris’s focus on integrity. When asked about the new administration’s potential effectiveness, 40% expected improvements, while 36% predicted a decline.
The divide was even clearer among independents, a key voting group that turned strongly against the Democrats. Independents, by a 13-point margin (39% to 26%), reported a drop in trust in government following the election. They also expressed less confidence in receiving accurate information by an 11-point margin (39% to 28%). However, 39% of independents believed the Trump administration would be more effective at achieving results, compared to just 29% who felt the same about the current administration.
The fractured media landscape also played a significant role in undermining the Democrats' “trust us” messaging. Three-quarters of voters under 30 now get their news from social media, while 84% of seniors still rely on television. The gap is especially pronounced on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where 61% and 55% of younger voters get their news, compared to single-digit percentages among those over 65. Trump took advantage of this divide, with his appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast generating over 27 million YouTube views and dominating social media for weeks.
Concerns about misinformation also weighed heavily on voters. A significant 69% of Americans said online disinformation made it harder to access “fair and truthful news” during the 2024 election campaign. Furthermore, 71% expressed concerns about the impact of “deepfakes” on spreading false information. Perhaps most troubling for both parties, 45% of Americans now say they trust neither the government nor news organizations to provide accurate information.
The poll makes it clear: Americans have become disillusioned enough to value results over trust. They would rather have a government that delivers, even if it's not fully trusted, than one they believe in but fails to produce. After suffering major losses in the House, Senate, and a crushing presidential defeat, Democrats are left to wonder if their “democracy first” message has finally lost its appeal.
