Rising Anti-Government Rhetoric Among Senior GOP Officials

The practice of casting the federal government as an adversary dates back decades. Political scientists note that both parties have used this framing to rally their bases, with Republican critics historically targeting a “vague liberal enemy” that is sometimes equated with the government itself.

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In recent weeks, several senior officials publicly expressed distrust of the very institutions they oversee. None of the agencies responded to requests for comment.

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Pew Research Center’s 2025 tracker shows partisan shifts in trust: 20 % of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents trusted the federal government shortly after President Donald Trump’s second term began, rising to 26 % by September 2025. In the same survey, Democratic trust hovered around 9 %, a historically low level.

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• “I have a hard time believing in the government anymore,” — Sean Duffy, transportation secretary

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• “I think as citizens, it’s our job to be suspicious of the government,” — Rachel Campos-Duffy

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• “I’m still distrustful of the government, even though we’re in the government.” — Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy

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• “It means this great small business owner should not own this business, that the government should,” — Markwayne Mullin, homeland security secretary

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• “The long-term conservative or Republican or MAGA criticism of the federal government was actually not about the federal government,” — Mark Brockway

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• “Democrats have also said you can’t fully trust the government,” — Peter Loge

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