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Americans’ confidence in courts hits all-time low; did Trump cases have bipartisan impact?

By Debra Cassens Weiss

December 18, 2024, 10:25 am CST

Americans’ confidence in the courts hit an all-time low of 35% in 2024, a decrease of 24 percentage points in four years, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday.

Confidence declined among those who disapproved of President Joe Biden’s leadership, as well as among those who approved, according to an online Gallup summary. The poll did not ask about political party.

The Associated Press covered the findings.

“The results come after a tumultuous period that included the overturning of the nationwide right to abortion, 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 article says.

The only indictment that led to a conviction had alleged that Trump falsified business records to pay hush money to adult film actress Stormy Daniels in a bid to bolster his election in 2016.

Confidence in courts among those disapproving of Biden’s leadership declined from 46% in 2021 to 29% in 2024. Among those who approved of Biden’s leadership, confidence remained steady at 62% between 2021 and 2023, before decreasing to 44% this year.

The legal cases against Trump likely affected the confidence of both sets of respondents, Gallup said. Those who dislike Biden may have been dissatisfied with the cases against Trump. Those who like Biden many have been dissatisfied with court decisions favoring Trump.

Only nine nations had greater decreases in confidence in the courts over the same four-year period, the New York Times points out. They were Myanmar, Venezuela, Croatia, South Africa, Syria, Hong Kong, Morocco, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uzbekistan.

Lydia Saad, the director of U.S. social research at Gallup, told the New York Times that the results represent “a striking decline” in the global context.

“These drops are typically associated with pretty significant political upheavals,” Saad said.

A separate Gallup poll asked about Americans’ trust in the federal judicial branch headed by the U.S. Supreme Court. Forty-eight percent said they had a great deal or a fair amount of confidence, according to findings released in October.

But political party made a difference. Among Republicans, 71% had a great deal or a fair amount of trust in the federal judicial branch headed by the Supreme Court. Among Democrats, only 24% had such confidence.

Gallup also asked whether respondents approved or disapproved of the job being done by the Supreme Court. Overall, 44% of Americans approved of the Supreme Court. Seventy-two percent of Republicans approved, while 15% of Democrats approved.

The Supreme Court ruled in July in Trump v. United States that presidents have absolute immunity when exercising core constitutional powers and at least presumptive immunity for acts “within the outer perimeter” of their official responsibilities.

The Supreme Court’s decision holding that there is no constitutional right to abortion, Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, was released in June 2022. The next month, Democratic approval of the court decreased to 13%.

“When we ask Republicans about the Supreme Court, they’re still very positive,” Saad told the New York Times. “When you don’t pin them down on the Supreme Court and talk about the courts, they’re saying the courts are misbehaving and engaging in quote-unquote lawfare.”

WASHINGTON – Today, the Bureau of Land Management announced a $41 million investment through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for ecosystem restoration. This funding will support 74 projects in 16 states, building on proven programs and partnerships to protect cherished wildlife and natural resources while creating good-paying jobs to strengthen communities.  

This is the third investment of ecosystem restoration funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was passed by Congress in November 2021. The first two BLM investments from this program totaled about $61.5 million and were announced in 2022 and 2023.   

The funding announcement also bolsters the Department of the Interior’s announcement today of the Sagebrush Keystone Initiative that directs restoration funding to defend and grow core landscapes in sagebrush ecosystems. Nearly $6 million of today’s announced funding will be directed by BLM to prioritized sagebrush landscapes across four states.   

“Resilient landscapes are our best natural defenses against climate change,” said BLM Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “As we continue to see unprecedented wildfire, plants blooming uncharacteristically at different times of the year, warmer waters in our streams, and more, these investments are critical to providing clean water, reliable habitat, and resilience to wildfire for future generations.” 

About half of the funds ($20.5 million) are slated for 26 projects in eight states under Good Neighbor Authority, which allows the BLM to collaborate with Tribal Nations and State governments to do restoration work on lands across multiple jurisdictions.  

Other funded initiatives include:  

• About $9.4 million for 15 projects in seven states that will restore abandoned mine lands. This funding is aimed at restoring wildlife habitat, removing abandoned equipment, and improving water quality.    

• About $6.3 million for 15 projects in eight states and BLM’s Headquarters office to continue to implement the BLM’s National Seed Strategy, especially important for restoring lands damaged by rangeland fires, invasive species, severe storms, and drought.   

• About $1.8 million will be distributed to eight projects in six states that will improve recreation sites or public access. Some of these projects will expand campsites and day-use sites, construct trails, and improve accessibility for visitors.  

• About $862,000 will be sent to three projects in three states for eradicating and controlling invasive weeds. Invasive weeds crowd out native plants, often creating conditions that favor catastrophic wildfires or that take water away from native plants.  

• Half of all funding ($22 million) will be spent in BLM’s Restoration Landscapes, continuing the Bureau’s efforts to invest in these places and address threats to wildlife, recreation visitors, and communities.   

State Funding Distribution (estimates):  

Alabama	$60,000	1 project (BLM Eastern States Office)
Alaska	$10.65 million	10 projects
Arizona	$2.95 million	5 projects
California	$3.76 million	7 projects
Colorado	$2.89 million	6 projects
Florida	$300,000	1 project (BLM Eastern States Office)
Idaho	$2.74 million	7 projects
Maryland	$795,000	1 project (BLM Eastern States Office)
Montana	$4.35 million	6 projects
Nevada	$350,000	1 project
New Mexico	$2.36 million	8 projects
Oregon	$5.0 million	9 projects
South Dakota	$500,000	1 project (BLM Montana/Dakotas State Office)
Utah	$300,000	1 project
Washington	$220,000	1 project (BLM Oregon/Washington State Office)
Wyoming	$1.35 million	2 projects
Multi-Unit Projects	$395,000	4 Projects
Headquarters	$2.10 Million	4 Projects
TOTAL	$40.57 Million	74 Projects