Trump Supporters Abandon Traditional Media as Trust Hits All-Time Low

New data reveals a seismic shift as voters turn to alternative sources for news and information.

What to Know: 

  • Only 14% of Republicans trust national news organizations, compared to 58% of Democrats, marking the largest partisan trust gap ever recorded.

  • Fox News, Newsmax, and OANN remain key conservative news sources, but many Trump supporters are shifting to X (Twitter), Rumble, Telegram, and Substack for political discourse.

  • 38% of right-leaning Americans actively avoid news due to perceived bias, negativity, and manipulation, a higher rate than left-leaning voters.

  • Lower news consumption increases misinformation vulnerability and reduces voter participation, weakening civic engagement.

  • Efforts to rebuild media trust have had limited success, and media fragmentation continues to accelerate.

In an era where information is both abundant and deeply polarized, trust in mainstream news media has eroded dramatically—particularly among supporters of former President Donald Trump. Over the past decade, right-leaning voters have increasingly rejected traditional outlets, opting instead for alternative news sources or disengaging from news consumption entirely. This shift has profound implications for political discourse, voter engagement, and the future of journalism itself.

The Origins of Distrust

Distrust between conservatives and mainstream media didn’t start with Trump, but his presidency intensified it. Labeling critical coverage as “fake news” and branding journalists as “the enemy of the people,” Trump reinforced the belief among his base that legacy media outlets—including The New York Times, CNN, and The Washington Post—were not just biased but actively working against their interests.

Pew Research Center (2023) – Partisan trust in national news organizations.

This sentiment isn’t anecdotal; it’s quantifiable. A 2023 Pew Research Center study found that only 14% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents trust national news organizations, compared to 58% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents—the largest partisan gap ever recorded. This divide has fueled a media realignment that sees conservatives relying on sources they perceive as more aligned with their worldview.

Selective Consumption and the Rise of Alternative Media

As trust in legacy media plummeted, Trump supporters turned elsewhere. Fox News, Newsmax, and One America News Network (OANN) have solidified their roles as dominant sources of conservative news. However, even these outlets are losing ground as audiences migrate toward decentralized platforms like Twitter (now X), Rumble, Telegram, and Substack, where independent commentators drive much of the conversation.

A report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found that many Trump supporters are disengaging from news altogether, citing exhaustion, distrust, and a sense that mainstream narratives do not reflect their realities. Some are replacing news consumption with direct engagement in political activism, while others retreat into niche communities where information is filtered through influencers they trust.

News Fatigue: The Cost of Constant Crisis Narratives

People actively avoid news because they believe it to be repetitive, manipulative, or overwhelmingly negative. This phenomenon is known as news fatigue, and it is a major contributor to this disengagement. According to the Reuters Digital News Report 2022, 38% of right-leaning Americans admit to avoiding news, a significantly higher percentage than left-leaning voters.

For many Trump supporters, avoiding mainstream news is not just about frustration with bias—it’s also a means of protecting their mental well-being. Constant negative coverage of Trump and conservative policies has reinforced the idea that major media outlets are less interested in reporting facts than in advancing an ideological agenda.

Consequences of Disengagement

This widespread media skepticism has serious consequences:

  • Declining Civic Engagement: A disengaged electorate is more susceptible to misinformation and less likely to participate in democratic processes.

  • Polarization and Echo Chambers: Many voters now consume only media that aligns with their existing beliefs, deepening partisan divisions.

  • Media Industry Crisis: Traditional news organizations, already struggling financially, face further challenges as millions of Americans tune out.

Can the Trust Be Rebuilt?

Efforts to restore media trust are underway. Initiatives like The Trust Project and increased transparency in news reporting aim to bridge the credibility gap. Some media outlets have even experimented with engaging conservative audiences through local journalism, which tends to be viewed as less partisan than national coverage.

However, reversing this trend will require more than new policies—it demands a shift in how news is framed, reported, and consumed. Traditional outlets must address perceived biases head-on, while consumers must be willing to engage critically with a diverse range of perspectives.

Wrap Up

The collapse of trust in mainstream media among Trump supporters is not merely a conservative phenomenon—it reflects a broader crisis in how Americans perceive truth, authority, and institutional credibility. This breakdown has reshaped not only media consumption habits but also the political landscape, fostering deeper divisions and fueling the rise of alternative information ecosystems.

The challenge ahead is twofold: media organizations must rebuild credibility by addressing legitimate concerns about bias, transparency, and sensationalism, while audiences must take an active role in diversifying their information sources and critically evaluating the narratives they consume. Without mutual effort, the widening gap in media trust threatens to further fragment public discourse, making it increasingly difficult to foster common ground on critical national issues.

The future of journalism depends on whether news outlets can adapt to this new reality—balancing fair reporting with transparency—and whether voters remain open to engaging with perspectives beyond their echo chambers. If these trends continue unchecked, the erosion of trust in media may become irreversible, leaving a democracy where facts are no longer shared, and political identities define not just beliefs, but realities themselves.

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John Connors

John Connors

John is a passionate patriot and business owner. He launched Campaign Now in 2008 to help free-market oriented, American organizations increase their reach and achieve important results. When he’s not strategizing growth plans with clients, you can find him sharpening his history chops, playing tennis in the Texas heat, or spending time with family.

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