The United States has entered the second week of a government shutdown with no end date mentioned so far.
President Donald Trump has insisted that the blame lies with Democrats, who continue to press their demands to expand health coverage. But polls show that more Americans blame Republicans and Trump for the shutdown than congressional Democrats.
In addition to the closure, it has been a very busy week. National Guard troops were deployed to Chicago before a federal judge temporarily blocked the move. Trump announced that the leaders of Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a peace deal, and Trump learned that he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize this year, something he had long wanted. Instead, the White House blamed the Nobel committee for putting “politics before peace.”
Further: Trump makes good on threat to lay off federal workers as shutdown reaches day 11. Live updates
What do his constituents think about how he is doing in office? Here’s what you should know about your approval ratings:
Further: More Americans blame Trump and congressional Republicans for the shutdown, new poll finds
Economist/YouGov: Americans Inclined to Blame Republicans for Government Shutdown
In an Economist/YouGov poll conducted October 4-6, Trump’s approval rating was 39%. The survey surveyed 1,648 adult American citizens with a margin of error of approximately 3.5%.
The survey also found that Americans are more likely to blame Republicans and Trump for the shutdown than congressional Democrats (41% vs. 30%) and 23% say both parties are equally responsible. Among respondents who could correctly identify which party has the majority in Congress, 49% blamed Republicans and 34% blamed Democrats, the survey found.
Reuters/Ipsos: National Guard deployment unpopular
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Oct. 3-7, Trump received 40% approval. The poll surveyed 1,154 American adults nationwide and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
The poll also found that 58% of Americans said the president should only send armed troops to confront external threats. Trump has deployed the National Guard to American cities that he says are plagued by crime in recent months. Earlier this week, hundreds of troops arrived outside Chicago, but a federal judge temporarily blocked their deployment.
Trump’s approval rating is low compared to other presidents
In a Gallup poll conducted Sept. 2-16, 40% approved of Trump’s job performance, unchanged from the previous month.
A historical analysis by Gallup shows that Trump’s approval ratings in September of his first years in office (as the 45th and 47th president) are lower than those of any other modern president at the same time in their administrations. Here’s how his September approval rating compares to other presidents in September of their first year in office, according to Gallup:
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Trump (September 2017): 37% approve
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Barack Obama (September 2009) – 52% approve
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George W. Bush (September 2001): 76% approve
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Bill Clinton (September 1993): 50% approve
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George HW Bush (September 1989): 70% approve
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Ronald Reagan (September 1981): 52% approve
How has Trump’s average approval rating changed this term?
Averages based on aggregators RealClearPolitics and the New York Times show Trump’s approval rating is net negative but relatively stable in recent months.
As of Jan. 27, 50.5% approved, giving Trump a net positive rating until March 13, when he moved to net negative with 47.8% approving, compared to 48.5% disapproving, RealClearPolitics charts show. The approval rating hit a low on April 29 at 45.1% approval, which fell around Trump’s 100-day mark. It hit a new low on September 30, the day before the government shutdown began, with 44.8% approval.
The New York Times aggregator showed that Trump’s approval fell from 52% in January to 44% in April, and has remained largely stable since then. According to the Times, the minimum of Trump’s term is 43% approval, which he reached for the first time on August 21.
As of October 10, Trump’s average approval is 45.3%, according to RealClearPolitics, and 43% on average, according to the New York Times.
Contributing: Kathryn Palmer, Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is Trump’s approval rating? Reactions to the closure of the National Guard