Trump Approval Plunges Amid Government Shutdown Uncertainty

The survey, conducted after Democrats' recent victories in off-year elections but before Congress took major steps to try to end the longest shutdown in U.S. history, showed that only about two-thirds of Republicans, 68%, said they approve of Trump's government management, down from 81% in March. Independents' approval dropped from 35% to 25% during the same period. Democrats, on the other hand, showed a slight increase in approval, from 11% to 14%. According to the survey, the decline in approval among Republicans and independents was driven in part by concerns over Trump's handling of the economy and his response to the partial government shutdown. "The shutdown was a major factor in the decline in approval among Republicans and independents," said Trevor Tompson, director of the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. "It's clear that the public is increasingly frustrated with the way the government is being run." The survey also found that the public is divided on Trump's performance on key issues, including the economy, healthcare, and foreign policy. While some respondents praised Trump's efforts to boost economic growth, others expressed concerns over the rising national debt and the impact of his policies on low-income families. The decline in Trump's approval rating comes as Congress is working to pass a new spending bill to end the partial government shutdown, which has left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay. The shutdown has been ongoing for over a month, with both parties blaming each other for the impasse. The AP-NORC poll was conducted from January 9-14 among a nationally representative sample of 1,058 adults. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. In response to the poll, a White House spokesperson said that the administration is "focused on delivering results for the American people" and that the president's approval rating will continue to fluctuate based on various factors.