Politics - News Analysis

Trump’s Disapproval Rating Skyrockets Since the Government Shutdown Began

Donald Trump’s disapproval rating has skyrocketed since the beginning of the ongoing government shutdown, according to a new poll.

A CNN poll published Sunday found that Trump’s disapproval rating is at 57 percent, up five points from December. The ongoing partial government shutdown began Dec. 22.

According to the poll, 55 percent of respondents said Trump is to blame for the shutdown and 32 percent said Democrats are mostly to blame. Another 9 percent of respondents said both sides are to blame.

A different poll shows that Americans blame Trump and the Republicans for what is now the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.

According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, 54 percent of Americans blame Trump and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown, while only 29 percent blame Democrats. The poll also shows that the same percentage, 54 percent, oppose Trump’s border wall, while only 42 percent support it.

In a particularly galling touch for Trump, the current polling is a mirror image of public opinion when Republicans shut down the government under President Barack Obama:

Concerning the allocation of blame, 53 percent say Trump and the Republicans are mainly at fault, and 29 percent blame the Democrats in Congress. Thirteen percent say both sides bear equal responsibility for the shutdown. That is identical to the end of the 16-day shutdown in 2013, when 29 percent blamed then-President Barack Obama and 53 percent put the responsibility on congressional Republicans.

The government shutdown is now entering its fourth week, and with both sides dug in, Trump’s threat to declare a national emergency to fund the wall remains the only clear path to end the shutdown. Such a declaration would also face significant challenges in court, and set a precedent that even many Republicans warn would be dangerous.

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