NOT CONVINCED

Trump Hit by Damning Poll Over His Shutdown Plot

Voters have suggested the president and the GOP are responsible for the stalemate.

A damning opinion poll has found that most Americans disapprove of how President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are handling the government shutdown. Overall, 52 percent disapprove of Trump’s handling of the crisis, the same percentage that disapproves of congressional Republicans. But nearly half—49 percent—disapprove of Democrats’ performance. The poll comes amid a finger-pointing blame game between the parties and rising anxiety over the effects of the shutdown. According to the CBS News/YouGov survey, 39 percent of respondents blamed Trump and GOP lawmakers for the shutdown, compared to 30 percent who blamed Democrats. Another 31 percent said both parties share responsibility. A majority of respondents said they were at least “somewhat concerned” about the fallout. Voters aren’t convinced either party’s stance justifies the standoff. Only 23 percent said Republicans’ position was worth shutting down the government over, while 28 percent said the same about Democrats’. Roughly a third said they weren’t sure either side had a point. When asked what the shutdown was about, 36 percent pointed to healthcare, the issue Democrats have made central to their argument. The survey was conducted Oct. 1–3 among 2,441 U.S. adults,