One of President Donald Trump's 2016 campaign slogans is coming back to bite the president.

Writing on Friday, former Homeland Security chief of staff Miles Taylor argued that the MAGA political movement is facing a serious turning point, because Americans across party lines increasingly believe government corruption is widespread.

Republicans currently hold all three branches of government, and a recent Gallup poll found that 89 percent of Americans see corruption as a "common" problem in government. That is the highest level recorded in the 21st century and since Gallup first began asking the question and tracking opinions. The figure represents a 16 percent increase since the GOP took control in January 2025. The reading is notable given that perceptions of widespread corruption have historically risen and fallen with which party holds the White House — partisans of the party out of power have typically reported higher levels — yet the current number reflects elevated concern across both parties. Taylor also cited that the U.S. now ranks "dead last among all 38 advanced economies on perceived government corruption," a reference to comparative polling of OECD-style advanced democracies on how citizens view their governments.

He called it a historic failure for the United States, particularly given the country's long-standing reputation as a model of clean government and democratic accountability.

"America is the country that once lectured the world about clean government. Hell, I traveled the world delivering such lectures. Now, we're statistically the most 'corrupt-feeling' democracy in the developed world, according to our own citizens. If Donald Trump was worried about cementing his legacy, he doesn't have to fear any longer. With this, he's achieved something historic that no other president before him has achieved," wrote Taylor.

The most consequential number, in Taylor's view, concerns MAGA itself. Trump's own voters backed him at a rate of 94 percent in 2024. Now, 83 percent of Republicans agree that corruption is a problem in the U.S. government they voted to support.

"By a supermajority, Donald Trump's own voters believe the government is rotten," Taylor said. "He promised he'd drain the swamp, yet they can see the gold-leaf ballroom rising on their televisions, built with their money, while the First Family's crypto ventures mint billions and while Trump himself is minting literal coins with his face on them."

Taylor noted that MAGA supporters already believed there was corruption in the U.S. government; the difference now, in his assessment, is that they see where it is actually coming from.

He continued: "I don't want you to think of it as a survey result. I want you to start seeing it how I see it, as a coalition waiting to be led. Trump captured it for a while. He did. 'Drain the swamp!' However, his opponents should be able to recapture it in far, far bigger numbers. A supermajority of Americans believe the government has been stolen from them, and they're right. The Man who stole it is plastering his name and face on the buildings."

"So let's keep bringing them the receipts," he encouraged. How such perceptions evolve will be visible in Gallup's ongoing tracking, which has measured the question across administrations of both parties for decades.

Source: Alternet