Analysis
What the official said
“Recent polling demonstrates that public trust in higher education has reached historic lows across political parties and demographic groups.”
Claimant: Linda McMahon U.S. Secretary of Education
Agency or office: U.S. Department of Education
Context
Statement appears in a Department of Education press release in which Secretary McMahon calls on institutions to reaffirm commitments and cites recent polling as justification for action.
Evidence
The Department of Education press release asserts that multiple recent polls show public trust in higher education is at 'historic lows' across parties and demographic groups. This is verifiable using national polling series (e.g., Gallup, Pew Research Center, Education Next) that track public confidence in higher education. Those polls do show declines in confidence in higher education in recent years and low levels of confidence in some measures, but whether the phrase 'historic lows across political parties and demographic groups' is fully supported depends on the specific poll(s), time range, and metrics used; some polls show partisan differences and variation by demographic group. Additional citation to the specific polling data underlying the Department's claim is needed to fully substantiate the blanket formulation.