AP-NORC poll finds that approval of how Trump is running the government is eroding among Republicans

WASHINGTON (AP) — Approval of the way President Donald Trump is running government has fallen sharply since the start of his second term, according to a new AP-NORC poll, as discontent grows from fellow Republicans.

The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research was conducted after recent Democratic victories in off-year elections but before Congress took major steps to try to end the longest shutdown in U.S. history. It shows that only 33% of US adults approve of the way the Republican president is running the government, down from 43% in an AP-NORC poll in March.

This was largely driven by declining approval among Republicans and independents. According to the poll, only about two-thirds of Republicans, 68%, said they approved of Trump’s administration, down from 81% in March. The percentage of support for independents decreased from 38% to 25%.

The findings highlight the risks posed by the shutdown, which Trump and his administration have tried to blame squarely on Democrats, even as American adults blame both parties, as funding cuts have crippled air traffic, left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without paychecks, and cut food aid for some of the most vulnerable Americans. But it may also signal broader dissatisfaction with other dramatic — and polarizing — changes Trump has made to the federal government in recent months, including gutting agencies and directing waves of mass layoffs.

Trump’s approval of government is eroding among Republicans

Republicans have generally been steadfast in their support of the president, making their growing discontent particularly notable.

“I’m quite upset about the 40-day government shutdown,” said Beverly Lucas, 78, a Republican and retired teacher who lives in Ormond Beach, Florida, comparing Trump’s second term to “having a petulant child in the White House, with absolute power.”

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“When people were hungry, he would throw a party,” she said, referring to the “The Great Gatsby”-themed Halloween party held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida. “I thought it looked harsh.”

The poll found that an overwhelming majority of Democrats, 95%, still disapprove of Trump’s management of the federal government, compared to 89% in March.

Trump’s overall approval is consistent

Even as support for his administration declined, Trump’s overall approval rating remained steady in the new poll. About a third of U.S. adults, 36%, approve of his overall handling of the presidency, roughly in line with 37% in an October AP-NORC poll. And approval for his handling of key issues like immigration and the economy has barely changed since last month.

Health care has emerged as a major issue in the lockdown debate, with Democrats calling on Republicans to negotiate with them to extend tax breaks that expire on January 1. But Trump’s approval on the issue, which was already fairly low, has barely changed.

About a third of Americans, 34%, said they approved of Trump’s handling of health care in the November poll, compared to 31% in October.

Read more: Most Americans are concerned about rising health care costs, an AP-NORC poll shows

Many of his supporters still stand behind him. Susan McDuffie, 74, a Republican who lives in Carson City, Nevada, and retired several years ago, said she has “a lot of confidence in Trump” and believes the country is on the right path. She blames Democrats for the shutdown and the suffering it caused.

“I don’t understand how Democrats can care so little about people,” she said, scoffing at the idea that Democrats were trying to use the shutdown to force Republicans to address soon-to-rising health care costs.

“I have no patience for Democrats and their lame excuses,” she said, arguing that people fearing SNAP benefits will expire and struggling to put food on the table are a more pressing issue.

Lots of blame to go around

When it comes to the shutdown, there’s still plenty of blame. Recent polls suggest that while Republicans may be under a little more pressure, many believe Democrats are wrong, too.

“I really think everyone is stubborn. Everyone is stubborn,” said Nora Bailey, 33, a moderate who lives in Batesville, Arkansas, and does not align with either party.

After recently giving birth, she said she faced delays in getting a breast pump through a government program that helps new mothers while her son is in intensive care. She worries about her disabled parents, who rely on SNAP benefits for food.

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Overall, she said she is mixed about Trump’s handling of the job and disapproves of his management of the federal government because she believes he has not gone far enough to address waste.

“I don’t see enough being done yet to tell me that we’ve downsized the federal government rather than having all these extra people,” she said.

Trump’s approval to engage with the federal government will likely rebound if the government reopens. But the standoff could have a lasting impact on perceptions of the president, whose approval of the economy and immigration has eroded slightly since the spring.

Lucas, a Republican from Florida, said internet shutdowns in which civilians don’t get paid is the wrong way to address ideological disagreement.

“Air traffic controllers? Really? Do you want to not pay money to the people whose hands you live in every day?” she said. “We need to approach these conflicts like smart people and not bullies and thugs on the playground.”

Colvin reported from New York. The AP-NORC poll of 1,143 adults was conducted Nov. 6-10 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.