President Donald Trump’s approval rating is creeping back up amid the first government shutdown in six years, polling shows.
An RMG Research poll of 3,000 registered voters, conducted September 23 through October 1—the day the government shutdown began—found that 51 percent of respondents approved of Trump’s job performance, with 48 percent disapproving.
The net of +3 points marks a one-point uptick from the previous week, though the results largely reflect opinions collected before the shutdown took effect. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.8 percentage points.
Newsweek‘s tracker also showed an improvement in Trump’s approval rating, with his net approval now standing at -8 points—44 approving and 52 disapproving. That is up from -11 points on October 1.
Why It Matters
The slight rebound suggests Trump’s standing with voters remains resilient despite ongoing political turbulence.
What To Know
The federal government shut down this week after Congress failed to break a funding deadlock and pass a measure to keep agencies running.
The government funding dispute largely centers on whether to include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies in the spending bill. Democrats say health care protections must be preserved, while Republicans say funding and policy should be handled separately.
With funding lapsed, agencies must furlough all “nonexcepted” employees, while those deemed essential to protecting life and property continue working without pay until the shutdown ends.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that about 750,000 federal workers could be sidelined each day, with daily lost compensation amounting to about $400 million.
Trump has also threatened to use the shutdown to slash government spending and carry out mass firings instead of furloughing federal workers, as is the usual practice during a shutdown.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier this week that layoffs were imminent.
“If they don’t want further harm on their constituents back home, then they need to reopen the government,” Leavitt said of Democrats on Thursday.
According to a YouGov survey of 3,376 U.S. adults, conducted on October 1, 36 percent said they would be personally affected by the shutdown.
Polls have also shown that Americans think Republicans would be more to blame than Democrats for the shutdown.
A PBS News/NPR/Marist poll of 1,477 U.S. adults found that 38 percent said Republicans would be most to blame for a shutdown, while 27 percent said Democrats would be to blame.
YouGov polling showed that 45 percent of Americans said Trump was very responsible for the shutdown, 45 percent blamed congressional Republicans, and 36 percent said congressional Democrats were responsible.
Democrats and Republicans have sought to blame the opposing side for the shutdown.
“Democrats have officially voted to CLOSE the government,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X.
He added: “Democrats could have worked with us. Instead they prioritized taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal aliens.”
Leavitt said, “Democrats put us in this position.”
Meanwhile, former Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on X: “President Trump and Congressional Republicans just shut down the government because they refused to stop your health care costs from rising. Let me be clear: Republicans are in charge of the White House, House, and Senate. This is their shutdown.”
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said the shutdown amounted to “the clearest sign yet that Republicans are inept, incompetent, and lack any respect for the American people.”
On Capitol Hill, there appears to be little hope the shutdown will end anytime soon.
“There’s nothing to negotiate. There’s nothing we can pull out of this bill to make it any leaner or cleaner than it is,” Johnson said on Wednesday.
On Friday, Republicans and Democrats failed for a third time to reach an agreement on legislation to fund the government.
What Happens Next
Whether Trump’s approval holds up in the coming weeks will depend on how long the shutdown lasts, how much it disrupts the economy, and whether voters ultimately blame him, Republicans or Democrats.
The shutdown is expected to continue into next week. Johnson has designated next week as a district work period, meaning no votes are scheduled.
