Trump shoulders early blame for shutdown by double-digit margin even as voters buy into his false claims, poll shows

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL , US POLITICAL REPORTER

Published: | Updated:

New polling has revealed who the American people are holding responsible for shutting down the U.S. Government on Wednesday.

A Washington Post poll released Thursday delivered brutal news for Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress: voters are pinning the shutdown squarely on them, with independents leading the charge.

Only 22 percent of independents believe that Democrats are to blame for the shutdown, while 50 percent believe Republicans are to blame for the stoppage of government functions. 

Overall, 47 percent of respondents to the poll believe that Trump and Republicans in Congress are mainly responsible for the shutdown, while only 30 percent blame Democrats.

Only 2 percent of Democrats believe that their party is to blame for the shutdown, while 8 percent of Republicans blame their own party.

The Washington Post also notes that some of their poll respondents echoed claims from ‘Trump and Republicans that Democratic lawmakers are trying to force the government to offer full health care benefits to people who are in the country illegally.’

The poll was conducted with just over 1,000 respondents, who the Post noted were a ‘nationally representative’ sample. 

The Democrats’ proposals ​do not provide new federal health benefits to people living in the U.S. illegally.​ Party leaders are ​seeking to restore the previous eligibility for certain legal immigrants—such as DACA recipients, refugees, and asylum-seekers—which was curtailed by Trump’s recent ​Big Beautiful Bill. 

U.S. President Donald Trump on September 11, 2025 at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland.

U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) speaks during a news conference following a House Republican conference meeting at the U.S. Capitol on May 6, 2025 in Washington, DC

Demonstrators at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, US, on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025

Republicans supported a short-term measure to fund the government generally at current levels through November 21 but Democrats blocked it, insisting the measure did not address their concerns on health care.

They want to reverse the Medicaid cuts in President Trump’s package of tax breaks and spending reductions from the summer.

Democrats also want to extend tax credits that make health insurance premiums more accessible for millions of people who purchase through marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. 

Three Senate Democrats have broken with their colleagues, but the rest have been voting against a House-passed resolution to keep the government funded.

The Senate is not having roll-call votes on Thursday because of the Jewish Yom Kippur holiday, but another vote is expected on Friday and on most days until the standoff is resolved.

For now, Democrats are dug in on their demands for extending healthcare subsidies before they will agree to a funding deal.

Five additional Democratic votes would be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold in the 100-member Senate to green-light the House-passed bill.

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