New poll shows nearly half of US adults blame Trump for the government shutdown, as Trump blames Democrats
- A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that 47% of adult Americans surveyed hold President Donald Trump responsible for the partial government shutdown, which officially began at midnight on December 22.
- The poll, which was conducted between December 21 and December 25, also found that 33% of those surveyed blame congressional Democrats for the shutdown, and 7% hold congressional Republicans responsible for the shutdown.
- The partial government shutdown was triggered due to a budget impasse prompted by Trump's demand for $5 billion in border-wall funding.
- The partial government shutdown has impacted nine federal agencies and roughly 800,000 government employees - 420,000 of whom are deemed "essential" and must continue to work without pay.
- The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 35% of respondents support funding for a border wall and only 25% support a shutdown over wall funding.
A new poll from Reuters/Ipsos shows that 47% of adult Americans surveyed hold President Donald Trump responsible for the partial government shutdown, which officially began at midnight on December 22.
The poll, which was conducted between December 21 and December 25, also found that 33% blame congressional Democrats, and 7% hold congressional Republicans responsible for the shutdown.
The partial government shutdown was triggered due to a budget impasse prompted by Trump's demand for $5 billion in border-wall funding.
Congress passed funding for 80% of the government, but after initially signaling that he would sign a stopgap measure to fund the remaining 20% of the federal government, Trump changed course and said he would not sign a bill that didn't include $5 billion for a border wall.
The House passed a bill with the wall funding, however, it did not have the 60 votes needed to pass in the Senate before lawmakers adjourned for the Christmas holiday.
The partial government shutdown has impacted nine federal agencies and roughly 800,000 thousand government employees - 420,000 of whom are deemed "essential" and must continue to work without pay.
Who is to blame for the shutdown, which looks likely to continue into the new year, has been a game of political football. During a televised meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, and House Minority Leader - and presumptive Majority Leader come January - Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, Trump said he was "proud" to shut down the government in the name of border security. Soon after, however, he blamed Democrats.
On Tuesday, he said that, "Many of those [federal] workers have said to me, communicated, 'stay out until you get the funding for the wall.'" But on Thursday, Trump tweeted, "Do the Dems realize that most of the people not getting paid are Democrats?" The comment immediately drew backlash from congressional Democrats.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 35% of respondents support funding for a border wall and only 25% support a shutdown over wall funding.