QPoll: More voters blame Trump and Republicans for shutdown

A Quinnipiac University Poll released

Monday found more Americans blame President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress for the government shutdown, which is in its 24th day.

The survey found 56 percent of voters say Trump and Republicans are responsible for the shutdown while 36 percent blame Democrats. The two sides have reached an impasse over Trump’s request for $5 billion to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

“‘Mr. President, it’s on you,’ voters say about the government shutdown, blaming President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans more than Democrats,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Poll.

In a separate question, 62 percent of voters opposed shutting down the government to force funding for the wall, with 32 percent in favor. Republicans were the only group who supported a shutdown. About two-thirds of voters disapprove of Trump using executive powers to fund the wall.

On the issue of the wall itself, 55 percent of voters oppose building a wall along the Mexican border while 43 percent are in favor. But voters agree, by a margin of 54-43 percent, that there is a security crisis along the Mexican border and, by a margin of 68-26 percent, that there is a humanitarian crisis there.

“While they believe there is both a humanitarian and a security crisis along the southern border, they absolutely don’t think a wall will solve the problem,” Malloy said.

The poll surveyed 1,209 voters nationwide from Jan. 9-13 with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percent.