Poll: Most Americans Blame Trump, GOP for Ongoing Shutdown
A majority of Americans blame President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans for the ongoing government shutdown, now approaching a month with hundreds of thousands of federal workers still unpaid and critical programs stalled, according to a new poll.
The Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos survey found that 45% of U.S. adults hold Trump and the GOP chiefly responsible, while 33% point to Democrats. Among independent voters, the gap is even wider — they blame Republicans over Democrats by roughly two to one.
Public unease has deepened as the shutdown drags on.
“Three-quarters of U.S. adults say they are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat concerned’ about the shutdown,” the poll reported, with concern especially high among lower-income Americans and Democrats, according to the Washington Post on Thursday.
‘Shutdown is on Donald Trump’s back’
The government has been closed since October 1, when funding lapsed amid a dispute over the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Democrats have pushed to restore subsidies for ACA health plans, while Republicans insist broader spending bills should come first.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer accused Trump of reckless political maneuvering, saying, “Americans can see with their own eyes what Trump is doing… The shutdown is on Donald Trump’s back, and the American people know it.”
Republicans, meanwhile, argue that Democrats are the ones to blame. “The American people are sick and tired of the Democrats’ dangerous political games,” said Sen. John Barrasso.
The poll was conducted online from October 24–28 among 2,725 adults and has a margin of error of ±1.9 percentage points. If the deadlock continues through November 5, it will become the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
