Science Communication (SciComm) refers to the many ways that science and scientific issues are shared or discussed outside of academic settings. Both reviews of SciComm literature and accounts of the field’s historical development indicate that promoting or restoring public trust in science is an undisputed and ubiquitous objective for SciComm. We term this the “trust objective” of SciComm and note that SciComm is regularly advocated as an institutional trust repair mechanism, i.e. as an effective response to public trust issues. In this chapter, we take a critical look into the proposition that SciComm should strive to promote or repair trust in science. Three problematic aspects are identified and discussed. First, a trust objective legitimizes a trust deficit; yet a rhetoric of public deficits may deprive the scientific community of valuable opportunities for reflection and mutual learning. Second, a trust objective indiscriminately promotes trust; it assumes that “more” trust is better and overlooks differences between warranted trust, excessive trust, healthy skepticism or distrust. Lastly, a trust objective can be interpreted as a persuasive or promotional motive; while such motives are not inherently negative, they must be recognised and addressed if they are to be pursued ethically. Our analysis suggests a need for more contextual approaches that clarify the exact trust problem at hand and a need for continuous reflection by the scientific and SciComm community over their assumptions, motives, and desired outcomes.