Poll: US feels shutdown is Trump’s
Majority oppose building wall at Mexican border
By a wide margin, Americans blame the longest government shutdown in U.S. history on President Donald Trump, according to a Washington POST-ABC News poll published Sunday.
The partial shutdown affects about a quarter of the U.S. government and approximately 800,000 federal workers. Now in its fourth week, the shutdown is the result of an impasse between the president and congressional Democrats over funding for a border wall, which Trump promised during the 2016 campaign.
When asked, “Who do you think is mainly responsible for this situation?” 53 percent of Americans said they blamed Trump and Republicans. Only 29 percent blamed Democrats and another 13 percent said both sides were equally responsible. Four percent had no opinion.
On Saturday, Trump indicated during a Fox News interview that he believed he, not the Democrats, was winning the battle for public opinion over the shutdown and the wall.
Unsurprisingly, there was a wide partisan divide in opinion. While 85 percent of Democrats blamed Trump and congressional Republicans, 68 percent of Republican voters blamed congressional Democrats.
Respondents were essentially split on whether Democrats should reach a compromise that included funding of Trump’s wall in order to reopen the government. Forty-eight percent said to continue denying the president’s request, even if it extended the shutdown, while 45 percent said they should compromise.
A majority, 54 percent, said they oppose the construction of a border wall, while 42 percent said they are in favor of it. Among those who support the wall, 52 percent said the president should keep demanding the funds even if it prolongs the shutdown. Forty-one percent favored compromise.
The poll of 788 Americans was conducted from Jan. 8-11 with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percent.