Trump’s Popularity Unaffected by Government Shutdown, Analysis Suggests
CNN’s senior data analyst, Harry Enten, stated on Monday that the ongoing government shutdown hasn’t negatively impacted President Donald Trump’s approval ratings.
As the shutdown stretches into its twentieth day, Trump’s net approval stands at +1 point, with 48% of Americans attributing the shutdown to him. These statistics indicate that he is faring politically better than during the government shutdown of his first term back in 2018.
Enten remarked, “This shutdown has not hurt Donald Trump’s support at all. In fact, his net approval rating has actually risen by one point. During the earlier shutdown in 2018 and 2019, he faced more significant political fallout. This time around, it hasn’t hurt him at all.” He mentioned that there weren’t compelling reasons for Trump to seek an end to the shutdown based on public sentiment.
Enten’s broader report shows that Trump’s net approval was at -3 points following the 2019 shutdown, where a significant 61% of Americans held him accountable. In contrast, only 48% currently do.
“At the end of the day, it’s a game of accountability,” Enten noted. He also recalled his younger days of playing games. He added that the outlook seems different now—48% blame Trump for the current shutdown, a marked decrease from previous years.
In comparing the numbers, Enten highlighted that the current blame percentage is significantly lower, down more than 3.5 points from 2018 and less than half the decline seen earlier, which was 13 points. “No wonder Donald Trump is viewing the shutdown as not a political liability, primarily because he faces less blame, and perhaps he feels he’s doing the right thing during this period,” he suggested.
In 2019, Democrats including then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi indicated they would be “proud” to shut down the government over border security funding, leading to the longest shutdown in U.S. history—35 days. Recently, nearly all democratic members voted to shut down the government on October 1, seeking extensions to specific healthcare subsidies. However, a few Democrats stood in favor of keeping the government operational.
In related statements, President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of capitulating to the party’s more progressive faction, citing fears over challenges from figures like Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This tension unfolded amid broader discussions about leadership and party dynamics.
