The month after 9/11, terrorism was the most significant concern for Americans. In polling conducted by Gallup the following month – and just days after the invasion of Afghanistan –46% of Americans said terrorism was their top concern. At the same time, trust in government hit a three-decade high in 2001, buoyed by President George W. Bush’s decisive response to the attacks. When the US invaded Afghanistan in October of that year, 92% of Americans supported the decision.
Fast forward 25 years, the top problems have shifted away from terrorism – less than 1% of respondents ranked it their top problem in August 2026. Instead, the economy is increasingly on voters' minds as fuel and living costs skyrocket, driven by another US president embarking on a far less popular war in the Middle East.
But the biggest shift in concerns is directed at Washington. Although trust in government spiked following 9/11, the last decade has seen the government itself rank among Americans’ top concerns. After the January 6 attacks on the US Capitol, the number of people who said the government, Congress, and politicians were their top concern spiked by 9 percentage points to 29% in January 2021. Since the beginning of 2026, when ICE agents were deployed to cities like Minnesota as part of an immigration crackdown, that number has remained high, peaking at 32% in January.
Over two decades after 9/11, terrorism has largely faded from Americans’ minds. In its place, Americans are largely concerned about the US government itself – an issue that could be exacerbated by hotly contested midterm elections approaching.
