credibility gap

plural credibility gaps

1. A discrepancy between the statements made by a person in authority (especially by a politician) and the perceived truth.

   The League of Nations, meanwhile, suffered a credibility gap as the United States never joined the organisation that its President argued was essential for preserving the hard-won peace.

   2021 September 22, Stephen Roberts, “The writings on the wall...”, in RAIL, number 940, page 72

   1 more example

   The inability of Trump's own spokespeople to speak authoritatively on the president's thinking and actions -- a challenge even Trump himself has acknowledged -- has left the White House with an enormous credibility gap, and has tarnished the reputations of many of its most visible spokespeople.

   2017 May 16, Dylan Byers, “Does anyone in Trump's White House have credibility?”, in CNN Business, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2025