Government corruption has overtaken high grocery and gas prices as the primary concern for U.S. voters, according to the final CNBC All-America Economic Survey conducted before the Nov. 3 midterm election. The shift in public sentiment follows a sustained campaign by Democrats to link economic dissatisfaction with alleged corruption by President Donald Trump and his Republican allies.
The nationwide poll, which surveyed 1,000 registered U.S. voters from Oct. 14 to 18, found that 36% of respondents identified government corruption as one of the most important issues facing the country. The cost of food and groceries ranked second at 34%, while protecting democracy and the price of gas each garnered 23%. The survey was co-led by Democratic pollster Hart Research Associates and Republican pollster Public Opinion Strategies, carrying a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.
Although the survey separated various economic topics, which might otherwise rank higher if grouped, the results align with other recent polling data. A Fox News poll published last week reported that 60% of registered voters are extremely concerned about government corruption, surpassing worries about inflation. A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll released Sunday indicated that approximately two-thirds of respondents believe Trump is using the presidency to enrich himself, a figure up 10 percentage points since September 2025. Additionally, a recent Gallup poll found that perceptions of government corruption have reached multi-decade highs, while an August Reuters/Ipsos poll showed that nearly 7 in 10 Americans believe Trump's businesses influence his presidential decisions.
Republican officials have also attempted to capitalize on anti-corruption sentiment. The Trump administration launched a task force led by Vice President JD Vance to combat fraud, and the president frequently accuses Democratic opponents of crookery. On Tuesday, while unveiling a new whistleblower reward program, Trump stated that his administration has waged an unprecedented war on corruption and fraud.
However, with Republicans controlling the federal government and facing criticism over costs linked to tariffs and the Iran war, Democrats have positioned themselves to assign blame more directly. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., claimed on X that Americans have spent over $100 billion extra on gas due to the conflict with Iran. Other Democratic candidates have broadened their message to suggest the political system itself is broken. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., argued in an April campaign video that elected representatives serve donors rather than the people, while House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., criticized Republicans for failing to lower costs for ordinary Americans.
The CNBC survey indicates this messaging is resonating. Democrats held a 4-point edge over Republicans in their ability to handle corruption among all respondents, but that gap widened to 17 points among voters who cited corruption as their top issue. Independents favored Democrats by a 15-point margin on the issue, though 41% of independents believed neither party would do a good job.
Brian Lemek, executive of the political action committee Defend the Vote, noted in an interview that voters are connecting their high costs to what they perceive as a corrupt system in Washington. The survey also revealed strong public opposition to conflicts of interest: 93% of voters said elected officials should not personally own or trade stocks in companies with federal contracts, and 89% said companies owned by a sitting president's immediate family should not receive federal contracts.