Government Shutdown Blamed on Democrats’ Political Strategy

Pollster Matt Towry claimed on Wednesday that Democrats are deliberately prolonging a government shutdown to impact President Donald Trump’s economic reputation.

The House concluded the historic shutdown late Wednesday by passing a bipartisan spending bill, with a vote count of 222-209, despite strong opposition from Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and many Democrats. On “The Ingraham Angle,” Towry characterized the shutdown as a politically motivated move by Democrats aimed at undermining the administration.

“Democrats initiated this. They did it to damage the Trump economy because, as long as this shutdown persists, it will negatively affect economic performance. So when the economic indicators are released, they won’t look very promising,” Towry explained to Laura Ingraham.

He dismissed the notion that the core issue was about health care subsidies, arguing instead that it formed part of a broader tactic to weaken Trump’s appeal among voters.

“They will claim that Donald Trump isn’t contributing positively to the economy. That was one of the main reasons for this. It wasn’t solely about health care. Also, there’s a senator from Florida, someone I know quite well, who seems inclined to support this. I don’t mind if the senator gets some funding; I just want these people to get back to their jobs,” he added.

Towry believes Democrats misjudged public sentiment during the shutdown. He noted that most Americans don’t grasp the complexities of the situation. “Look, I get that I’m a pollster, but the general population doesn’t fully understand all the ins and outs of this. They just want to know why they can’t catch a flight; they want the issue resolved as quickly as possible,” he said. “The Republicans have been using this to undermine Trump, and so far, it hasn’t hurt him significantly—once this is resolved, I predict his numbers will rise.”

The shutdown, which lasted 43 days, resulted in hundreds of thousands of federal employees going without pay, posed risks to food assistance programs for low-income individuals, and disrupted air travel across the country. The Senate moved the spending proposal forward after Democrats had blocked government funding for seven weeks. Ultimately, senators accepted a deal that excluded their key demand: a guaranteed extension of the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits, which Republicans had consistently opposed.