Polls: Majority oppose border wall, blame Donald Trump for shutdown

WASHINGTON (UPI) — The majority of Americans oppose additional funding for the border wall along Mexico and blame President Donald Trump for the subsequent partial government shutdown, according to separate CNN and ABC/Washington Post polls released Sunday. As the shutdown enters its 23rd day — the longest in history — 55 percent said Trump is more responsible for the shutdown compared with 32 percent who say the blame rests mostly with the Democrats, according to CNN poll. Nine percent say both are responsible. In the ABC/Washington Post poll, 53 percent believe Trump and the Republican Party are mainly responsible for the funding disagreement compared with 29 percent who said Democrats in Congress are to blame. About 25 percent of the government remains shut down, including the Department of Homeland Security, as Democrats refuse to approve Trump’s $5.7 billion funding request for a barrier and Trump says he will veto funding for agencies without money for it. Among respondents in the ABC/Washington Post poll, 18 percent said they’ve personally been affected by the partial shutdown. Seventy-nine percent said it would be a serious problem or a crisis if it were to continue for months. Overall, 56 percent oppose a wall and 39 percent favor it in the CNN poll — similar numbers in December. In the ABC/Washington Post poll, 54 percent disapprove building the wall and 42 percent said they approve it. Support has increased to 42 percent, up from 34 percent a year ago and a previous high of 37 percent in 2017 in the ABC/Washington Post poll. When asked whether there is a crisis at the border, only a quarter back Trump’s claim and two-thirds oppose him declaring a national emergency to fund a wall there, according to ABC/Washington Post poll. In the CNN poll, 45 percent say it is a crisis and 52 percent it isn’t Since last month, Trump’s approval rating in the CNN poll has dropped 5 percentage points to 37 percent compared with 57 percent disapproval, which is unchanged. Trump’s lowest approval since becoming president two years ago was was 35 percent in December 2017 and February 2018. It has been 40 percent or higher in nine of the 20 CNN polls. The ABC/Washington Post didn’t ask the approval question. For the first time, more white people without college degrees disapprove of him at 47 percent compared with 45 percent approval in the CNN poll. But those whites who do not have college degrees remain in favor of a wall along the border with Mexico — 51 percent by 46 percent. But 45 percent of them blame the president for the government shutdown compared with 39 percent believe it’s the Democrats in Congress. Blame for the shutdown is along party lines. In the CNN poll, 89 percent of Democrats blame Trump and 65 percent of Republicans fault Democrats in Congress. Independents are more apt to blame Trump — 48 percent to 34 percent — and are most likely to say both sides are responsible at 14 percent. In the ABC/Washington Post poll, 85 percent of Democrats and 78 percent of liberals mainly blamed Trump and the GOP for the partial shutdown. Sixty-eight percent of Republicans and 50 percent of conservatives mainly blamed the Democrats in Congress. A third of conservatives blame Trump and the congressional Republicans. The CNN poll was conducted by SSRS on Thursday and Friday 848 adults with a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points. The ABC/Washington Post poll was conducted by Langer Research Associates among 788 adults on between Tuesday and Friday with a margin of error of 4.5 points. Both polls were conducted by landlines and cellphones. Reporting by Allen Cone