“The system is rigged.” This is one of the phrases that Donald Trump repeats most since he began his meteoric political rise in 2016. Over the years, his complaint has been aimed at specific actors: i deep state (the deep state), liberal elites, judges, journalists, the “radical left”… He creates a narrative of persecution, according to which the United States must be saved from perdition and betrayal, and he and his movement are the only ones who can do it.
This communication strategy is essential to legitimize your leadership. As the sociologist Robert Tucker wrote in the 1970s, the construction of “situational charisma” depends on the possibility of offering a means of salvation in a moment of profound misfortune. This is why the criticisms and accusations do not stop, despite the fact that most of the institutions are already under their control. We must continue to identify enemies and bad practices because they are the ones who confirm the need for their leadership.
The president and his administration are therefore dedicated to sowing distrust. This also serves to undermine and point to political enemies who find it inconvenient to consolidate power and to raise doubts about news and data unfavorable to them. If all institutions and their leaders are questioned, if there are no truths or facts, but only versions and opinions, then any complaint against them is weakened.
The decline in trust in institutions is one of the ingredients typically associated with the deterioration of democracy. But this does not seem to be a problem for Trump, who actually fuels it. Although the decline in credibility did not begin with him, it has accelerated in recent years. According to a 2025 Gallup study, on average only 28% of citizens express trust in nine key institutions ranging from the presidency to the Supreme Court to the media. In 2022 the percentage fell below 30% for the first time and never recovered that level.
Below, we examine several actions implemented by the president and his team to increase Americans’ distrust in institutions, the political system, and society at large. Some of the consequences of this are also highlighted.
Usage of deepfake
Since returning to the White House, Trump has posted at least 15 AI videos or images on his Instagram in which he shows false versions of himself or other characters, including rivals in a negative way. In truth, he also continuously shares pieces that followers send him, such as the one in which he is seen piloting an F-16 and bombing protests with excrement under the slogan No king of the month of October. It’s not just a resource for grabbing attention on social networks, it’s also a way to blur the line between truth and lies. Almost no one believes the video showing Democratic leaders in the Senate and Congress wearing mariachi hats while declaring that no one supports their party anymore, but the publication serves to fuel and increase doubt about what is real and what is not.
Praise for denialist groups
In September, the president shocked the scientific community when he warned that pregnant women should not take acetaminophen or acetaminophen because it could cause autism in their babies. The Administration strongly encourages the MAHA movement (Make America healthy again), by the Secretary of Health, Robert F. Kennedy. With online content and conspiracy theories they have strengthened anti-vaccine sentiment and, in states like Florida, they have managed to eliminate the obligation to carry out some injections. With an army of influencers and in official reports they give unscientific advice such as avoiding taking drugs or foods that are difficult to pronounce, fueling distrust in the healthcare system.
Report it to the experts
Thousands of independent officials who have worked for years for various federal institutions are in the sights of the president, who questions the work they do or the information they collect, when he does not consider it entirely positive. Various sectors are in the eye of the storm, from science to economics to intelligence services. The same pattern tends to repeat itself: public criticism to pressure resignations or changes in decisions, dismissals or even threats using mortgage records to force departures. The goal is for the institutions to respect it or, at the very least, for their credibility to be seriously compromised.
The data war
Him stop of the United States federal government turns 40 on November 9th. It is the longest period in history, and during that period very important data are no longer collected, such as the evolution of the labor market, flu or covid-19 infections, the import and export of agri-food products and essential information for calculating the size of the economy and inflation. But beyond this specific situation, for months the Trump administration has been adopting measures that threaten the collection of official data. First of all, the publication of information on mental health and violence protection programs, as well as on the climate and environmental situation, was stopped. In August, he went a step further by directly questioning Bureau of Labor Statistics data. After firing his manager, in a statement to the media in the Oval Office, he showed several XL-format graphs that would demonstrate that the numbers had been underreported to harm him while they had been inflated during Joe Biden’s presidency.
Reopening stories from the past
A part of American public opinion is inclined to pay attention to conspiracy theories, which underline the role of institutions in specific historical events, such as the assassination of John F. Kennedy, his brother Robert Kennedy or the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Trump has reopened the historical debate, declassifying secret dossiers on these cases and other less political cases, such as the death of the pilot Amelia Earhart, who disappeared in 1937 while trying to cross the Atlantic. As regards the latter, the publication of the documents has not yet been made official. With all this, Trump seeks to strengthen an image of transparency before his base in the face of the presumed opacity of traditional institutions.
It fuels mistrust and polarization
The consequences of Trump’s speeches and actions are already visible in opinion studies. So far during his second presidency, citizens’ appreciation for independent institutions that were normally removed from political controversy has waned significantly. Furthermore, partisan bias has deepened due to the colonization of some state bodies to achieve particular political ends or with a high level of rejection, as in the case of security and defense bodies.
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