Poll finds more people are starting to blame Democrats for shutdown
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In the United States, more citizens are inclined to hold Republicans accountable for the current government shutdown over Democrats. However, a recent poll by YouGov/The Economist indicates this discrepancy is beginning to close.

The latest survey reveals a 6-point difference between the parties. It shows that 39% of Americans surveyed attribute the shutdown to President Trump and Congressional Republicans, while 33% point the finger at Congressional Democrats.

In comparison to last week’s findings, there was an 11-point gap, with 41% holding Trump and the GOP responsible, as opposed to 30% who blamed the Democrats in Congress.

Americans are more likely to blame Republicans than Democrats for the ongoing government shutdown, but a new YouGov/The Economist poll shows that gap is beginning to narrow.

Only 6 points separate the parties in this week’s poll, which shows 39 percent of surveyed Americans blame President Trump and the Republicans in Congress for the shutdown, while 33 percent blame the Democrats in Congress.

Last week, 11 points separated the two sides, with 41 percent of respondents blaming Trump and the GOP in Congress and 30 percent blaming their Democratic counterparts.

In the latest poll, 20 percent of respondents say they blame both sides equally — down from 23 percent last week.

The shift in polling data comes as the government is about to enter its third week of a shutdown, with the standoff between the two parties showing no sign of waning anytime soon.

Democrats are insisting on addressing enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies, which are slated to expire at the end of the year, increasing insurance premiums for millions of Americans. Republicans, meanwhile, say they won’t negotiate on the health care subsidies until Democrats support their proposal to reopen the government.

Pressure on the GOP has increased slightly this week, as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has gone public with her criticism of the party leadership and its failure to try to find a solution to the looming health care premium increase.

But as the shutdown drags on, independent voters appear to be fueling the narrowing gap between which party harbors more blame for the ongoing shutdown.

In the latest poll, 26 percent of independent voters blame Democrats for the shutdown — up from 17 percent last week.

Blame for Trump and the Republicans ticked down slightly, as well: from 41 percent last week to 38 percent this week. And independents who blame both sides equally dropped from 32 percent last week to 27 percent this week.

The poll was conducted from Oct. 10 to 13 and included 1,622 respondents. The margin of error is approximately 3.5 percentage points.

Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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