Trump and Republicans are being blamed more than Dems for government shutdown, early polling finds

The American public is more likely to blame Donald Trump and Republicans for the U.S. government shutdown than Democrats, early national polling has shown.

A Washington Post poll conducted on the first day of the shutdown found that 47 per cent of adults in the US blame Trump and Republicans in Congress for the closure, while 30 per cent blame the Democrats. However, the remaining 23 per cent said they are not sure which side is most at fault.

Among independent voters specifically, Trump and Republicans were blamed by 51 per cent and the Democrats by just 22 per cent, the poll found.

Nearly one-in-ten Republicans (8 per cent) blamed their own party for the shutdown, while one quarter (25 per dent) were unsure of who to blame.

On Monday the shutdown entered day six, as both sides appear no closer to figuring out a compromise and federal employees across the country begin to feel its effects.

The shutdown is centred on a demand by the Democrats regarding the extension of health care subsidies. If they are cut, it may result in sharply increased costs for millions of low-income Americans.

Trump has blamed the Democrats for blocking his resolution, and expressed confidence that Republicans will hold out in the crucial stalemate.

“They’re causing it. We’re ready to go back,” Trump said in the White House on Sunday. He told CNN’s Jake Tapper that the Republican Party is “winning, and cutting costs, big time!” when asked over text how he thinks the shutdown will end.

The President, who had previously said the shutdown would allow his administration to save “billions”, also told reporters his administration has started to permanently fire federal workers – rather than just furloughing them.

The White House is threatening mass layoffs if the Democrats do not resolve the impasse. “It’s taking place right now,” Trump said when asked when workers would begin being laid off, without elaborating.

White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett told CNN‘s ‘State of the Union’ program that “President Trump and [White House budget director Russ Vought are lining things up and getting ready to act if they have to, but hoping that they don’t.”

The White House’s Office of Management and Budget, which has played a key role in Trump’s campaign to sharply scale back the size of the federal government, has not yet responded.