More disapprove of how GOP, Trump are handling shutdown than Democrats: Survey
Most Americans, regardless of party lines, disapprove of the handling of the government shutdown, which is now in its sixth day.
But President Trump and Republicans fare worse on how the shutdown is being handled, with 52 percent of people surveyed disapproving. Democrats trail, with a 49 percent disapproval rating, according to CBS News polling.
Among those polled, 39 percent blame Trump and Republicans for the shutdown, while 30 percent blame Democrats and 31 percent blame both parties.
A majority of Americans think that Democrats are “weak,” and few have described the party as “strong” or “effective,” 59 percent see the Republican Party as “extreme” and 50 percent as “strong.”
Americans also are concerned about Trump’s lack of focus on lowering prices and believe they’re worse off financially under his presidency. Of those surveyed, 64 percent said Trump’s policies are causing food prices to rise, with only 11 percent indicating they think prices are going down, the poll found.
The shutdown could exacerbate the condition of the economy, Americans have said, with roughly 750,000 federal employees furloughed without pay until the government reopens.
Forty-eight percent of Democrats said the shutdown is worth it. Congressional Democrats voted against a temporary funding bill because it did not extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire in December, nor restore funding to Medicaid that was cut in the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Trump’s disapproval rating hit 58 percent in the CBS News poll.
A majority of people oppose Trump deploying the National Guard to U.S. cities across the country, with 61 percent of respondents saying they shouldn’t be there. But when broken down by party, the contrast is stark: 79 percent of Republicans said the National Guard should be deployed, compared to 92 percent of Democrats and 70 percent of Independents who said troops shouldn’t be in U.S. cities.
On Sunday, U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut again temporarily blocked Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Portland, Ore.
The CBS News poll was conducted Oct. 1-3, among 2,441 adults in the U.S. It has a margin of error of plus/minus 2.3 points.