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Here's who Americans blame for government shutdown, according to poll

By Daniel Miller
Published  October 16, 2025 5:06pm EDT
Politics
FOX Local
article

The Brief

    • Approximately 60% of people blame President Donald Trump and Republicans for the ongoing shutdown, according to an Associated Press-NORC poll.
    • But another 54% of Americans surveyed fault Democrats for the current situation. 
    • Respondents in the poll agreed that the shutdown is a substantial problem.

Americans view the government shutdown as a major problem as the nation is feeling its impact from flight delays and federal employees who are furloughed or working without pay.

With legislators at an impasse on a solution to reopen the government, respondents in a new Associated Press-NORC poll are making their voices heard on who they think is responsible for the shutdown.

RELATED: Sweeping layoffs 'have begun' as government shutdown drags on

The poll of 1,289 adults was conducted between Oct. 9-13, using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel.

Americans blame Trump, Republicans and Democrats for the government shutdown

Dig deeper:

About 6 in 10 Americans say President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress have "a great deal" or "quite a bit" of responsibility for the shutdown, while 54% say the same about Democrats in Congress, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. 

RELATED: Government shutdown could be the longest ever, House Speaker warns

However, at least three-quarters of Americans think each political party deserves at least a "moderate" share of blame, emphasizing that neither group should avoid accountability for the shutdown.

More than half of respondents believe the shutdown is a ‘major issue’

The other side:

Approximately 54% of Americans call the shutdown a "major issue," with only 11% sharing that it is "not a problem at all." Democrats, 69%, view the shutdown as a major problem, but 59% of independents and 37% of Republicans feel the same way.

More Americans support extending health care subsidies

Local perspective:

As the government shutdown enters its third week, Democrats and Republicans are at a standstill over federal tax credits for people who purchase health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. 

According to the poll, about 4 in 10 Americans favor extending the tax credits, while only 1 in 10 oppose it. But 42% of respondents don’t have an opinion, implying that many Americans are not closely following the primary argument driving the shutdown.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press-NORC poll of 1,289 adults conducted between Oct. 9-13. This story was reported from Washington, D.C. 


 

Politics