Trump's Approval Rating Sinks to Second-Term Low as Voters Point Fingers at GOP for Shutdown
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The Shutdown's Political Toll
Government shutdowns have consequences, and a new Morning Consult poll suggests President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are learning that lesson the hard way. Trump's approval rating has dropped to 44%, down from 46% before the shutdown began, while his disapproval ticked up to 54% from 52%. That 44% figure represents a new second-term low for the president.
The shutdown dominated public attention, with 63% of voters saying they had seen, read, or heard "a lot" about it, making it the top story for several weeks running. Flight cancellations and SNAP funding disruptions also stayed top of mind for voters, both direct casualties of the shutdown.
But the damage extends beyond general approval numbers. Trump received historically poor marks on his handling of several key issues, with approval ratings on healthcare, the economy, Medicare, Social Security, and the national debt all hitting new record lows. Healthcare and the economy stood out particularly, with voters reporting more negative perceptions of both issues than at any other point in Trump's second term. Meanwhile, 73% of voters said reducing healthcare costs should be a "top priority."
Republicans Take the Blame
The GOP's problems don't stop with Trump. When voters were asked who's at fault for the shutdown, 46% pointed to Republicans compared to just 38% who blamed Democrats. That 8-point gap tells a story, and it's showing up in the favorability ratings.
Congressional Republicans now sit at 40% approval and 52% disapproval, a decline from 41% approval and 49% disapproval before the shutdown. Congressional Democrats, by contrast, held relatively steady at 45% approval and 47% disapproval, compared to 44% approval and 46% disapproval pre-shutdown.
Perhaps most concerning for Republicans looking ahead: voters now favor Democrats to win the 2026 midterms by a 48% to 43% margin, widening from a 45% to 41% Democratic advantage before the shutdown. With the shutdown potentially ending soon, the question of who gets blamed and who bears the political scars could fuel discussions well into the 2026 campaign season.
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