Fake News Is Less of a Threat Than Government Deciding What Is Allowed

Publication Date: 05/12/2026 5:00 AM CST

Fake News Is Less of a Threat Than Government Deciding What Is Allowed

Publication: 05/12/2026 5:00 AM CST

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About 8 in 10 voters (83%) are worried about free speech being used to spread disinformation and fake news.
- This is up 4 points since January.
- Forty-five percent (45%) are Very Worried.
- Only 4% are Not at All Worried.
- Democrats are worried about free speech and disinformation by an 88% to 12% margin.
- By a 80% to 19% margin, Republicans have the same misgivings.
Similarly, 76% are worried about government efforts to restrict freedom of speech.
- Forty-six percent (46%) are Very Worried.
- Just 6% are Not at All Worried.
- More Democrats (89%) than Republicans (64%) are worried about the government restricting free speech.
A solid majority (63%) of voters say they worry more about the federal government deciding what information and news should be allowed than about disinformation and fake news.
- This number has gone up 6 points since January but close to what it was last July when it was 64%.
- Still, 32% say that disinformation and fake news worry them more, down 6 points from January but the same as last July.
- By a 72% to 23% margin, Democrats worry more about the federal government deciding what should be allowed.
- Republicans are split: 52% are more worried about the federal government deciding what is allowed, and 45% are more worried about disinformation and fake news.
Voters are split on which party twists data more to serve its own purposes.
- Thirty-eight percent (38%) say it is Republicans, while another 35% say the Democrat party twists the data more.
- One quarter (25%) say both parties are equally guilty.
- Interestingly, 28% of voters from each party say that their own party twists data more.

This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, April 29-30, 2026. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.