Majority Of Americans Hold Trump Most Responsible For Shutdown, New Poll Finds
Throughout the government shutdown, which is now on its 34th day, blame has been passed between Democrats and President Donald Trump, with each accusing the other for being the reason behind the partial shutdown that has left 800,000 federal workers without pay for more than a month.
At this point, Americans have been able to watch the back-and-forth between the two parties and have decided for themselves who they feel is at fault for the current situation, and, according to a new Fox News poll, a majority of them feel that it is President Trump that should take the most blame, the Hill reported.
Results from the survey, which was conducted with the help of Beacon Research and released on Wednesday, January 23, found that 51 percent of registered voters hold the president most responsible for the government shutdown.
Out of the group surveyed that did not answer this way, 34 percent found Congressional Democrats most responsible and three percent said it was Republican lawmakers that should bear the most blame. The remaining nine percent of voters said that everyone is responsible for the shutdown.
The survey also suggests an increase in support for the construction of a border wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, which was one of President Trump’s campaign promises that has now been the root issue behind the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.
In September of 2018, support for the wall tallied in at 39 percent, but has now risen to 43 percent. Still, 51 percent of respondents indicated that they were opposed to the construction of the barrier.
Fox News poll: Majority of Americans say Trump is most responsible for shutdown https://t.co/EQYq4uDdor pic.twitter.com/18YSgGKvKR
— The Hill (@thehill) January 24, 2019
Meanwhile, a second poll from the Associated Press and NORC Center for Public Affairs Research released this week indicated that 60 percent of Americans placed “a great deal” of responsibility for the ongoing standoff in Washington on President Trump, according to the Associated Press, while 36 percent blamed Republican lawmakers and 31 percent put the responsibility on Democrats.
Poll: 60 percent say Trump bears responsibility for shutdown https://t.co/PSfaVBjf54 pic.twitter.com/5CXfpinIB3
— The Hill (@thehill) January 24, 2019
The ongoing shutdown has also affected the president’s overall approval rating which, as previously reported by the Inquisitr, is now at its lowest point in nearly a year.
Trump’s overall average approval rating, calculated by political data site FiveThirtyEight, tallied in at 39.5 percent. The number had previously been this low almost a year ago, on January 25, 2018, when his approval rating dipped to 39 percent.
The government shutdown began more than a month ago, on December 22, and there is no indication as to when it will end as the president remains steadfast on his demand for a fund of $5.7 billion to construct a wall along the country’s southern border, a request Democrats have adamantly refused.
