Fact check: What percentage of Americans blame the President for the government shutdown?

1. Why the polls point a finger at the President and his party — and what the numbers actually say

Two separate national polls conducted in mid- to late-October 2025 show substantial public attribution of responsibility to the President and Republicans. The AP-NORC poll found about six in ten Americans assign a “great” or “quite a bit” of responsibility to President Trump and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown, while 54% similarly assign responsibility to House and Senate Democrats ^[1]. Reuters/Ipsos reports a narrower split on institutional blame, with 50% citing Republican congressional leadership and 43% citing Democrats, indicating Republicans are viewed as more responsible but not overwhelmingly so ^{[2] [3]}.

2. How timing and question wording shape blame percentages

Poll outcomes vary with question wording, timing, and the specific target named (the President vs. congressional leadership). The AP-NORC phrasing combined the President and Republicans together when asking about responsibility, which can aggregate feelings about executive and legislative actors into a single figure near 60% ^[1]. Reuters/Ipsos separated Republican congressional leadership and Democratic leadership, producing a 50/43 split that highlights nuance in public judgment based on who is explicitly named ^{[2] [3]}. These methodological differences explain why “percentage blaming the President” can appear as either ~60% or be presented more narrowly as part of Republican/leadership blame.

3. What other coverage acknowledged — gaps and non-answers in the reporting

Not every article or brief poll report provided a direct percentage specifically and exclusively stating “percentage blaming the President,” leaving gaps that can be misread as contradiction. One analysis noted that an article discussed impacts and the standoff without a discrete President-targeted percentage ^[5]. This absence matters: some reports emphasize party or congressional leadership rather than the President alone, which can understate or overstate presidential blame depending on how results are aggregated or summarized ^{[5] [2]}.

4. Political messaging: leaders assigning blame to shape public perceptions

Political actors have been explicit in assigning responsibility, with Democratic congressional leaders signaling they will not reopen the government without policy concessions and publicly hammering President Trump for not negotiating, amplifying narratives that place primary blame on the President ^[4]. Conversely, Republican leaders and aligned outlets emphasize Democratic demands and policy disputes to shift blame. This competing messaging environment interacts with polling responses: public attributions of blame are both a reflection of events and of elite framing efforts ^[4].

5. How independents and unaffiliated voters tilted the balance

Reuters/Ipsos data indicate voters not affiliated with either major party leaned toward blaming Republicans, with roughly half of unaffiliated voters faulting Republican leadership ^[3]. This matters because independents often determine political momentum in public opinion and electoral consequences; their views suggest Republican responsibility is perceived beyond core Democratic constituencies. The independent tilt helps explain why aggregate numbers show Republicans, including the President when polled in tandem, receiving a majority or plurality of blame ^{[2] [3]}.

6. What these percentages imply politically and practically

When polls show roughly 50–60% of Americans assigning significant responsibility to the President and/or his party, that level of public blame can translate into political vulnerability for Republican leaders and potential leverage for Democrats in negotiations and messaging ^{[1] [2]}. However, the degree to which that public sentiment converts into electoral or policy consequences depends on whether blame remains stable, whether control of messaging shifts, and whether compromises occur. The numbers are meaningful but not determinative on their own ^{[1] [3]}.

7. Bottom line for someone asking “what percentage blames the President?”

The clearest, consistent finding across available October 2025 polling is that a majority or near-majority of Americans assign significant responsibility to President Trump and/or Republican leaders, with AP-NORC reporting about six in ten and Reuters/Ipsos showing 50% blaming Republican leadership versus 43% blaming Democrats. Question wording and whether polls conflate the President with his party explain variation; readers should treat the range as roughly 50–60% rather than a single precise figure ^{[1] [2] [3]}.