New poll reveals who Americans really think is to blame for record-breaking government shutdown

The record-breaking government shutdown has entered its second month, and a new national poll has revealed who Americans really think is responsible.

As frustration grows, the finger-pointing between President Donald Trump, congressional Republicans, and Democrats has reached fever pitch.

Since October 1, the federal government has been partially closed, leaving thousands of workers unpaid and millions of Americans facing suspended benefits.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the federal food assistance program serving around 42 million people, has taken center stage in the dispute with states suing the government over delayed payouts.

Two judges recently ordered the administration to resume payments using emergency funds, but uncertainty remains.

“I do NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last week, adding that he’d asked government lawyers to clarify how the program could legally be funded.

A new poll has revealed who Americans really think is responsible for the government shutdown (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Democrats say the Grand Old Party (GOP) - the Republicans - holds the keys to ending the crisis.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries posted on X: "Democrats are fighting to protect SNAP and save healthcare. It’s time for House Republicans to end their five-week vacation and reopen the government. Enough."

Health care has also become central to the standoff, with Democratic pollster Jeff Horwitt, of Hart Research Associates, adding: "Health care, a central focus of the government shutdown debate, is an area where Democrats continue to hold the upper hand."

Now, a majority of Americans told pollsters they have negative views of both Republicans and Democrats, and a staggering 57 percent say they’d vote to kick every single member of Congress out if given the chance - that’s the highest level of anti-incumbent sentiment NBC has recorded in over a decade.

The US government has entered its second month of the federal shutdown (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Despite Democrats taking more criticism than in any shutdown over the past 30 years, a majority of voters - 52 percent - say Trump and Republicans in Congress are more to blame for the gridlock, while about 42 percent point to Democrats, and just four percent blame everyone equally.

Perhaps the most telling finding is that over a third of Americans - 34 percent - say they or someone in their family has been directly affected by the shutdown.

To put into perspective this record-breaking government shutdown, in 2018 and 2019 - during Trump’s first term in charge of the US - the federal government experienced its longest shutdown on record, lasting about five weeks and completely halting operations across multiple agencies.

With empty pantries, frozen paychecks, and fading patience, it’s clear that while Washington argues, everyday Americans are the ones paying the real price.

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