# LEE CARTER: Why I believe collapsing trust, not ideology, is reshaping American politics

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/lee-carter-why-i-believe-collapsing-trust-not-ideology-is-reshaping-american-politics/
- Published: 2026-07-20T09:00:35+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-20T10:15:53+00:00
- Original publisher: Fox News (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/lee-carter-why-i-believe-collapsing-trust-not-ideology-reshaping-american-politics
- Topics: Art, Culture, World

## Key points

- Fox News opinion piece by pollster Lee Carter
- Argues progressive wins reflect distrust in establishment, not leftward shift
- Cites Mamdani, Platner and Jackson as examples of anti-establishment voting

## Summary

In this opinion piece for Fox News, pollster Lee Carter argues that recent upset victories by progressive and Democratic Socialist candidates, such as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, do not indicate that America is shifting significantly leftward ideologically. Instead, she contends these results reflect a broader collapse of public trust in political and institutional establishments, with voters gravitating towards outsider candidates regardless of their specific policy positions.

Carter cites several examples to support her argument, including Mamdani's rise in New York, Graham Platner's rapid ascent in Maine before his campaign faltered, and Troy Jackson, a self-described "pickup truck progressive" now favoured by Maine Democrats. She pushes back against the conventional interpretation that such wins signal growing enthusiasm for left-wing policies, framing them instead as part of a wider anti-establishment mood shaping American politics.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.