Trump's Government Management Approval Plummets as Republican Support Wanes, New AP-NORC Poll Reveals

Only about two-thirds of Republicans, 68%, said they approve of Trump's government management.

Washington:

Approval of the way President Donald Trump is managing the government has declined significantly since the early days of his second term, according to a new AP-NORC poll, with much of the growing dissatisfaction coming from within his own Republican party.

The survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research took place after Democrats' recent victories in off-year elections but before Congress made major moves to end the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The results reveal that just 33% of American adults approve of the Republican president's government management, down from 43% in an AP-NORC poll conducted in March.

This decline was largely driven by decreasing support among Republicans and independents. The survey indicates that approximately two-thirds of Republicans, 68%, approve of Trump's government management, a significant drop from 81% in March. Among independents, approval fell from 38% to 25%.

These findings highlight the potential consequences of the shutdown, which Trump and his administration have attempted to attribute entirely to Democrats, even as Americans have distributed blame to both parties. The funding lapse has disrupted air traffic, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without income, and compromised food assistance for vulnerable Americans. The results may also reflect broader dissatisfaction with Trump's other dramatic and polarizing changes to the federal government, including agency reductions and directing widespread layoffs.

Republicans have traditionally shown strong support for the president, making their increasing discontent particularly noteworthy.

"I'm thoroughly disturbed by the government shutdown for 40-something days," said Beverly Lucas, 78, a Republican and retired educator residing in Ormond Beach, Florida. She compared Trump's second term to "having a petulant child in the White House, with unmitigated power."

"When people are hungry, he had a party," she added, referencing a Great Gatsby-themed Halloween celebration at Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. "I thought he seems callous."

The survey found that an overwhelming majority of Democrats, 95%, continue to disapprove of Trump's management of the federal government, compared with 89% in March.

Despite the decline in support for his government management, Trump's overall approval rating has remained consistent in the new poll. Approximately one-third of American adults, 36%, approve of his overall handling of the presidency, roughly equivalent to 37% in an October AP-NORC poll. Approval ratings for his handling of key issues such as immigration and the economy have also remained largely unchanged since last month.

Health care emerged as a critical issue in the shutdown debate as Democrats demanded negotiations with Republicans to extend tax credits expiring on January 1. However, Trump's approval on this issue, which was already relatively low, has barely shifted.

About one-third, 34%, of Americans expressed approval of Trump's handling of health care in the November poll, compared with 31% in October.

Many supporters remain loyal to the president. Susan McDuffie, 74, a Republican from Carson City, Nevada, who retired several years ago, expressed "great confidence in Trump" and believes the country is heading in the right direction. She places blame for the shutdown and its consequences on Democrats.

"I just don't understand how the Democrats can care so little about the people," she said, dismissing the idea that Democrats were using the shutdown to pressure Republicans to address imminent increases in health care costs.

"I don't have any patience for the Democrats and their lame excuses," she stated, arguing that people concerned about expiring SNAP benefits and struggling to provide food represent a more urgent issue.

Regarding the shutdown, blame continues to be widely distributed. Recent polls indicate that while Republicans may be receiving slightly more criticism, many Americans hold Democrats responsible as well.

"I truly do believe it's everybody. Everybody is being stubborn," said Nora Bailey, 33, a moderate from the Batesville area in Arkansas who doesn't align with either party.

Having recently given birth, she experienced delays in obtaining a breast pump through a government program assisting new mothers while her son was in intensive care. She also expressed concern about her disabled parents who depend on SNAP food stamp benefits.

Overall, she described mixed feelings about Trump's job performance and disapproval of his federal government management because she believes he hasn't adequately addressed government waste.

"I don't see enough being done yet to tell me we have downsized the federal government instead of having all these excess people," she explained.

Trump's approval rating regarding federal government management may recover if the government reopens. However, the standoff could have longer-lasting effects on perceptions of the president, whose approval ratings on the economy and immigration have slightly declined since spring.

Lucas, the Florida Republican, criticized shutdowns that leave civilians unpaid as an inappropriate method for addressing ideological differences.

"Air traffic controllers? Really? You want to not pay the people in whose hands your lives are every day?" she questioned. "We need to be addressing these conflicts like intelligent people and not thugs and bullies on the playground."