A majority of Americans think that the ongoing government shutdown, which reached 21 days on Friday, is “embarrassing for the country,” according to a new NPR/Ipsos poll.
The vast majority, including a majority of Republicans, say the shutdown is embarrassing, going to hurt the country and the economy, and that Congress should pass a bill now to reopen the government.
- 74 percent say shutdown is embarrassing.
- 71 percent shutdown will hurt the country.
- 70 percent say the shutdown will hurt the U.S. economy.
- 71 percent say Congress should pass a bill to reopen the government during budget discussions.
- 31 percent say the government should stay shuttered until Congress provides funding for a wall on the Southwest border.
The survey, which was conducted after President Donald Trump’s Tuesday evening Oval Office address on the shutdown, found that his speech did little to change people’s minds when compared to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released Tuesday.
Most voters appeared unaffected by Trump’s speech, in which he described a “crisis” at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- 38 percent said the speech convinced them of a crisis.
- 50 percent of Democrats, 53 percent of independents and 25 percent of Republicans say it is never acceptable to shut down the government.
- 65 percent said that they or their families had not been affected by the shutdown.
The poll also found that Trump is slightly more favored than House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., though both of them had more than 20 percent undecided.
- Trump: 42 percent favorable; 52 percent unfavorable; 6 percent undecided.
- Pelosi: 39 percent favorable; 41 percent unfavorable; 20 percent undecided.
- McConnell: 27 percent favorable; 40 percent unfavorable; 33 percent undecided.
Ispsos polled 1,003 adults in the U.S. online from Jan. 9 – 10, with a credibility interval of 3.5 percentage points.
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