Many Suspect COVID-19 Outbreak Was Not Accidental

Recent revelations about the origins of the COVID-19 virus have heightened suspicions many Americans have about both the pandemic and the vaccines used to treat it.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 45% of American Adults consider it likely that the COVID-19 pandemic was part of a secret plan by global elites to reduce worldwide population, including 24% who think it’s Very Likely. This view of the virus as “a population control scheme” has been called COVID-19 misinformation. Forty-five percent (45%) don’t believe this explanation is likely, including 30% who say it is Not At All Likely, while 10% are not sure. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

The suspicions of many were confirmed this month when, on her final day as Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard released declassified evidence about Dr. Anthony Fauci’s role in the COVID-19 pandemic. Skepticism toward COVID-19 vaccines remains widespread. While nearly half (48%) of American Adults believe the vaccines were necessary and effective in terms of preventing spread of the virus, 39% say it’s closer to their opinion that COVID-19 vaccines were promoted to help big pharmaceutical companies make money. Thirteen percent (13%) are not sure.

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The survey of 1,259 American Adults was conducted on June 24-25 and 28, 2026 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Suspicions about the origins of the virus tend to parallel skepticism toward COVID-19 vaccines. For example, among those who consider it Very Likely that the pandemic was part of a secret plan to reduce worldwide population, 66% believe COVID-19 vaccines were promoted to help big pharmaceutical companies make money.

Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Republicans, 34% of Democrats and 44% of those not affiliated with either major party think it’s at least somewhat likely that the COVID-19 pandemic was part of a secret plan by global elites to reduce worldwide population.

Sixty-five percent (65%) of Democrats, 35% of Republicans and 42% of the unaffiliated believe COVID-19 vaccines were necessary and effective in terms of preventing spread of the virus. Fifty-four percent (54%) of Republicans, 26% of Democrats and 40% of the unaffiliated say it’s closer to their opinion that COVID-19 vaccines were promoted to help big pharmaceutical companies make money.

There is very little “gender gap” on these questions, with just slightly more men (50%) than women (45%) thinking COVID-19 vaccines were necessary and effective.

Younger adults are less likely than their elders to trust official beliefs about COVID-19 and vaccines. A majority of those under 40 – including nearly two-thirds of men under 40 – consider it at least somewhat likely the pandemic was part of a secret plan to reduce worldwide population. Those 65 and older are most likely to view COVID-19 vaccines as necessary and effective.

Forty-seven percent (47%) of whites, 56% of blacks, 41% of Hispanics and 51% of other minorities believe COVID-19 vaccines were necessary and effective in terms of preventing spread of the virus. Blacks and Hispanics are most likely to suspect the pandemic was part of a secret plan to reduce worldwide population.

College graduates and those with incomes over $50,000 a year are less likely to suspect the COVID-19 pandemic was a population control scheme by the global elite.

Entrepreneurs (42%) and private sector workers (40%) are more likely than government employees (33%) or retirees (37%) to believe COVID-19 vaccines were promoted to help big pharmaceutical companies make money.

Americans overwhelmingly side with professional athletes who refuse to join LGBTQ Pride Month celebrations.

More than half of Americans expect to watch a fireworks show this Fourth of July, and nearly a third plan to shoot their own fireworks to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

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