‘Schumer Shutdown’ Going Worse For Dems, Better for Trump: CNN

CNN’s own data expert, Harry Enten, dropped a reality check for Democrats this week — President Donald J. Trump isn’t taking the political hit they expected from the ongoing government shutdown. In fact, according to Enten, he’s actually gaining support.

Enten compared Trump’s current standing to the 2018–2019 shutdown, which occurred during his first term. Back then, Trump’s approval rating slid by three points early in the standoff and continued to fall. This time, however, the opposite is true.

“This shutdown hasn’t eaten into Donald Trump’s support at all. His net approval rating is actually up a point in terms of his popular support,” Enten admitted. “So the bottom line is this: the first shutdown during Trump’s first term, 2018-2019, was hurting Donald Trump. This one is not hurting him at all.”

The reason, according to Enten, is simple — Americans aren’t blaming Trump this time around. While 61 percent of respondents blamed him for the 2018–2019 impasse, just 48 percent do so today.

“Again, it’s no real wonder that Donald Trump, at this point, looking at the shutdown, says, ‘You know what? It’s not actually harming me politically,’ in large part, because he’s getting less of the blame,” Enten said.

Of course, the logic of blaming the president for a shutdown never made much sense. Congress, not the president, is constitutionally responsible for passing spending bills.

Democrats, however, have vowed to block any legislation that doesn’t include an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies — a move that has effectively tied up negotiations. Republicans, by contrast, have insisted on reopening the government first, then addressing policy disputes afterward.

The result? The political fallout appears to be landing squarely on Democrats.

Even as Washington remains gridlocked, Republicans are seeing a surge in grassroots enthusiasm — and in cash. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) raised nearly $24 million between July and September, with $13.95 million of that coming in September alone — right as the shutdown began.

That haul represents the NRCC’s strongest September fundraising performance ever for a non-election year, up roughly 50 percent compared to September 2024. According to Fox News, the committee now holds $46 million in cash on hand and has raised a total of $93 million so far in 2025.

NRCC Chair Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) credited the surge to voter confidence in President Trump’s leadership and the GOP’s focus on fiscal sanity.

“House Republicans are firing on all cylinders,” Hudson told Fox News Digital. “Our majority funded the federal government, and we’re delivering for working families and building unstoppable momentum heading into 2026.”

While Democrats continue to appease their far-left base with political theater, the numbers show Americans are siding with President Trump and the Republican Party’s push to restore order and responsibility in Washington.