Majority blame Trump for shutdown: polls
The majority of Americans oppose additional funding for the border wall along Mexico and blame President Donald Trump for the subsequent partial government shutdown, according to separate CNN and ABC/Washington Post polls released Sunday.
As the shutdown enters its 23rd day — the longest in history — 55 percent said Trump is more responsible for the shutdown compared with 32 percent who say the blame rests mostly with the Democrats, according to CNN poll. Nine percent say both are responsible.
In the ABC/Washington Post poll, 53 percent believe Trump and the Republican Party are mainly responsible for the funding disagreement compared with 29 percent who said Democrats in Congress are to blame.
About 25 percent of the government remains shut down, including the Department of Homeland Security, as Democrats refuse to approve Trump’s $5.7 billion funding request for a barrier and Trump says he will veto funding for agencies without money for it.
Among respondents in the ABC/Washington Post poll, 18 percent said they’ve personally been affected by the partial shutdown. Seventy-nine percent said it would be a serious problem or a crisis if it were to continue for months.
Overall, 56 percent oppose a wall and 39 percent favor it in the CNN poll — similar numbers in December. In the ABC/Washington Post poll, 54 percent disapprove building the wall and 42 percent said they approve it.
Graham urging Trump to reopen gov’t for a few weeks
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican lawmaker advising President Donald Trump said he is encouraging the president to reopen the government for several weeks to continue negotiating with Democrats over funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall before the president takes the more drastic step of declaring a national emergency.
But that may be wishful thinking, given that Sen. Lindsey Graham also says Trump still wants to reach a deal for the wall before agreeing to reopen shuttered government departments. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a leading Democratic negotiator, insists that Trump reopen the government first.
The weeks-old standoff over funding led to the partial government shutdown that hit day 23 on Sunday without an end in sight.
“Before he pulls the plug on the legislative option, and I think we’re almost there, I would urge him to open up the government for a short period of time, like three weeks, before he pulls the plug, see if we can get a deal,” said Graham, a South Carolina Republican.