Poll Finds Confidence in Supreme Court Falls to Record Low as Public Trust in Institutions Wavers

Americans’ confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court has now reportedly dropped to its lowest level in recent polling, according to a new NBC News survey that highlights growing skepticism toward one of the nation’s most powerful institutions.

The poll found that just 22 percent of registered voters say they have either “a great deal” or “quite a bit” of confidence in the high court. That figure represents a decline from 29 percent in July 2024 and 27 percent in August 2022, when NBC News first began tracking voter confidence in the Supreme Court.

While trust at the highest levels has fallen, a larger portion of Americans still report a more moderate view of the court. Forty percent of respondents said they have “some” confidence in the institution.

At the same time, a significant share of voters expressed deep skepticism. Twenty-eight percent said they have “very little” confidence in the court, while 10 percent reported having no confidence at all.

Those numbers represent a shift from earlier surveys. In July 2024, 29 percent of respondents said they had “some” confidence in the court, while 35 percent said the same in the poll conducted in August 2022.

The declining confidence comes after several years of high-profile rulings that have placed the Supreme Court squarely at the center of political and cultural debates.

Among the most controversial decisions was the court’s ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark abortion precedent that had stood for decades. The court has also weighed in on a range of issues tied to the presidency and executive power.

One major decision favored President Donald Trump, with the court ruling in his favor regarding presidential immunity. That decision, like several others, fueled heated debate about the scope of executive authority and the role of the judiciary in limiting or defining presidential power.

Despite its conservative majority, the court has not ruled uniformly in Trump’s favor. In one recent decision, the justices struck down most of Trump’s sweeping tariffs.

The tariff policy had become a defining element of Trump’s second-term economic strategy. Critics argued the tariffs strained relationships with key allies, including the European Union and Canada, while also contributing to volatility in global markets and increased economic uncertainty.

The NBC News poll found that a majority of voters supported the Supreme Court’s decision on the tariffs. Fifty-four percent said they backed the ruling, while 27 percent said they opposed it.

The survey also measured public attitudes toward the president’s overall job performance.

According to the poll, Trump’s approval rating slipped slightly compared to the previous year. Forty-four percent of respondents said they either “strongly” or “somewhat” approve of the president’s job performance.

That represents a three-point decline from March 2025, when 47 percent expressed approval.

The findings suggest that while Americans remain deeply divided over the direction of the country and the actions of its leaders, skepticism toward institutions is becoming increasingly common across the political spectrum.

For the Supreme Court, long regarded as the final arbiter of constitutional questions, the poll underscores a challenge that has been building for years: maintaining public confidence in a politically polarized era where nearly every major decision is scrutinized through a partisan lens.

The NBC News survey was conducted between Feb. 27 and March 3 and included responses from 1,000 registered voters. The poll reported a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.