Washington Insiders Think Trump’s Changed This Town for the Worse

Donald Trump’s second term has frustrated corporate interests who have struggled to navigate a White House led by a president apparently willing to countenance some financial pain in order to advance his political goals, most notably with his trade policy.

In turn, people who make up what Trump has derisively called the “swamp” don’t like what they see, according to a new survey conducted among Morning Consult’s D.C. Insiders panel.

Roughly 3 in 4 of these insiders say Trump has changed how Washington functions for the worse, compared with 21% who said he’s changed it for the better.

This group of respondents is mostly made up of current or former congressional and executive branch employees, though it also includes a swath of professionals working in and around the federal government here. Respondents currently working outside of the federal government are in high-level positions in Washington-based corporate and nonprofit government affairs shops, think tanks, trade associations, media and lobbying firms.

These Americans skew younger, wealthier and more Democratic than the larger population, the latter of which likely drives their dim view of the state of affairs in Trump’s Washington and contributes to their perceived lack of access to key decision-makers relative to their status under former President Joe Biden.

The bulk of D.C. insiders (44%) said they have less access to the White House under Trump than they did under Biden, similar to the share who perceive lobbyists as having gained more access (48%). Another 28% say they have about the same access as they did before Trump’s inauguration, while 20% said they have more.

Given these dynamics, it’s no wonder that this group is far more likely than not to want businesses to come off the sidelines against many of Trump’s policies, especially when it comes to his pro-tariff agenda.

Nine in 10 D.C. insiders want businesses to engage publicly on the tariffs issue, including 78% of the sample who would like to see them speak up in opposition. Another 59% of these Americans want brands to speak out against the Department of Government Efficiency initiative, along with 54% who want them to oppose Trump’s immigration agenda.

This Washington consensus clashes with sentiment from the larger population of American consumers. Our report, “Navigating the Trump Era: Corporate Engagement in 2025,” found that less than a third of Americans say companies should publicly oppose Trump’s policies, even when it comes to his unpopular tariff agenda, though many Americans do think it’s OK for corporations to engage to pass legislation or influence public policy, unchanged from the Biden er.

The bottom line

That generally well-paid professionals in government and the public affairs sphere think Trump is less interested in hearing from them than his predecessor or that he has changed Washington for the worse is likely a badge of honor for this president. 

But, their begging for corporate activism — especially on the trade matter — suggests a deep belief that business interests aren’t being heard by those closest to the wheeling and dealing that makes public policy. (It’s worth noting that this survey was almost entirely conducted before Trump signaled a de-escalation in his trade war.)

Given the lack of appetite for direct corporate criticism of Trump among the American people, this data highlights the merits of louder Washington-centric messaging from those looking to influence public policy before the midterm elections as the Republican trifecta works to advance major tax, energy and immigration legislation over the coming weeks and the White House pursues major trade agreements.

And lobbyists — especially those with understanding of the political dynamics in the country, and, in particular, within Trump’s Republican base — look well-positioned to make these cases given increased perceptions of their influence in Trump’s second term.