Overview

• Recent surveys from The New York Times/Siena, Marist, and The Washington Post show Republicans and President Trump are blamed more than Democrats by roughly +7, +12, and +17 points.
• Enten’s reading of the polling places the average gap at about 12 points in favor of blaming Republicans over Democrats.
• He points to prior shutdowns in 1995–96, 2013, and 2018–19, when Republicans were also blamed more at the outset.
• Enten warns that the side the public blames at the start usually remains the one blamed when a shutdown ends.
• The funding lapse continues into next week, even as Enten criticizes Republicans for acting like “cock of the walk” despite the polling trend.