Early polls show Trump, GOP taking more blame than Democrats for government shutdown

Americans are more inclined to blame President Donald Trump and Republicans for the government shutdown than to blame Democrats, according to new polls.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government is shut down, and Americans are more inclined to blame President Donald Trump and Republicans for it, according to four independent, national polls conducted just before or during the funding lapse.

But there is fluidity in the political fight, as the surveys show a significant share of voters aren't sure who to blame. The shutdown is only in its second day, as Republicans and Democrats sharpen their messages, and it's not clear how long the impasse will last.

‘I have no idea’ how long government shutdown will last, House Democrat says21:49A Washington Post poll conducted on Oct. 1, the first day of the shutdown, found that 47% of U.S. adults blame Trump and Republicans in Congress, while 30% blame Democrats and 23% said they're not sure.

The survey found that independents blamed Trump and Republicans over Democrats by a wide margin of 50% to 22%. And one-third of Republicans were either unsure who to blame (25%) or blamed their party (8%).

A New York Times/Siena poll taken in late September found that blaming both sides equally for a shutdown was the most popular answer, chosen by 33% of registered voters. Another 26% would blame Trump and Republicans, while 19% would blame Democrats, and 21% said they hadn't heard enough to say.