Brands
How Americans Really Feel About CEOs
Report summary
Amid an increasingly unpredictable second Trump administration in which several business leaders are playing prominent roles, worsening economic sentiment and general consumer and worker fatigue, Americans’ relationship to CEOs is in a precarious place.
Across several major industries, the share of U.S. adults who say they have a favorable opinion of CEOs is nearly equal to those who say they have an unfavorable opinion. The same is true of those who say they do and do not trust CEOs to do the right thing. What’s more, these sentiments vary starkly along several demographic lines, mirroring the division that is becoming commonplace in so many aspects of modern American life.
Based on a survey of 2,201 U.S. adults, this report details how and why consumers think about and engage with the executive class. It also illuminates how CEOs — and the brands they represent — can be resilient in the face of disruption and firmly win over the court of public opinion.
Key Takeaways
- CEOs shape consumers’ brand perceptions: Consumers see CEOs as proxies of the brands they lead. An overwhelming majority of U.S. adults (78%) said a company’s CEO impacts their view of that company in some way.
- Opinions of business leaders diverge along gender and political lines: Men and Republicans are much more favorable toward and trusting of the executive class than their women and Democrat counterparts.
- Consumers want to hear from CEOs, but not on politics: While a plurality of Americans think CEOs need to have a public persona, the share who think business leaders should speak out on political, social or cultural issues has declined notably in recent years.
- “It’s the employees, stupid”: Americans are emphatic in their belief that CEOs should prioritize employees above all else, even customers. They feel the same way about companies more broadly, too.
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Highlights from this report
Forty-six percent of U.S. adults said they trust CEOs to “do what is right,” just slightly higher than those who said the opposite (42%). Still, this above-water position is rare considering Americans’ cratering trust in everything from government to mainstream media.
Men, Republicans and high earners are the most likely to have faith in business executives, while women and Democrats are the least. In fact, just 6% and 9% of these latter groups, respectively, said they trust CEOs “a lot.”
More Americans trust CEOs to do what’s right than not, but not by much
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Methodology
Data featured in this report draws from a survey conducted from March 26-28, 2025 among a representative sample of 2,201 U.S. adults.
All survey interviews were conducted online, and the data was weighted to approximate populations of adults based on age, gender, race, educational attainment, region, gender by age and race by educational attainment. Top-line results from the survey have a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points.
About the author
Ellyn Briggs is a brands analyst on the Industry Intelligence team, where she conducts research, authors analyst notes and advises brand and marketing leaders on how to apply insights to make better business decisions. Prior to joining Morning Consult, Ellyn worked as a market researcher and brand strategist in both agency and in-house settings. She graduated from American University with a bachelor’s degree in finance. For speaking opportunities and booking requests, please email [email protected].
