The COVID-19 pandemic has been marked by political divisions in U.S. public trust of scientists. Such divisions are well known on other topics, but regarding COVID-19 they arose suddenly, with disastrous results. Distrust of scientists elsewhere has been variously explained in terms of belief systems, cognitive factors, peer influences, or elite cues. Three surveys conducted from March to July 2020 in the state of New Hampshire observed rapid change, providing a test of explanations in this case. Trust in science agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) fell dramatically among Republicans, while views among Democrats and Independents changed little; the Democrat–Republican gap grew from 10 to 64 points. This rapid change coincided with a reversal of views toward the CDC expressed by President Donald Trump and amplified by conservative media. People expressing lower trust in scientists also report less compliance with science-based behavioral recommendations and less support for scientifically informed policies.

COVID-19 大流行的特点是美国公众对科学家的信任存在政治分歧。这种分歧在其他主题上是众所周知的，但就 COVID-19 而言，它们突然出现，带来了灾难性的结果。其他地方对科学家的不信任可以从信仰体系、认知因素、同伴影响或精英线索等方面得到不同的解释。2020 年 3 月至 7 月在新罕布什尔州进行的三项调查观察到快速变化，为这种情况的解释提供了检验。共和党人对疾病控制和预防中心 (CDC) 等科学机构的信任度急剧下降，而民主党人和独立人士的看法几乎没有变化；民主党与共和党的差距从 10 分扩大到 64 分。这一快速变化恰逢唐纳德·特朗普总统表达了对 CDC 的观点的逆转，并被保守的媒体放大。对科学家表示较低信任度的人还表示，他们对基于科学的行为建议的遵守程度较低，对科学政策的支持也较少。