More than half of top Capitol Hill staffers (58%) say the Republican Party is to blame for the ongoing government shutdown, according to our latest Canvass survey.
Unsurprisingly, respondents from both parties are pointing fingers at each other.
Nearly all Democrats and a quarter of Republicans who responded to The Canvass say they blame the GOP for the shutdown
Overwhelmingly, respondents say messaging from the big four leaders, Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, in the run-up to the shutdown has been weak.
In September, a paltry 13% of respondents said they believed messaging from Schumer and Jeffries had been effective. That includes 19% of Democrats who took the survey.
The Republican messaging didn’t seem to impress the party’s top Hill staffers either, with 31% of respondents saying they believe messaging from Thune and Johnson has been effective.
Public response. On day one of the government shutdown, a Washington Post poll found that 47% of U.S. adults blame President Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress for the shutdown. That same poll found that 30% blamed Democrats.
Another poll conducted by YouGov on Oct. 1-2 found that 41% of Americans think the shutdown will last less than two weeks.
The Canvass Capitol Hill was conducted in partnership with independent public affairs firm, LSG, Sept. 8-29, before the shutdown started.
Interested in taking the Canvass? Our survey provides anonymous monthly insights from top Capitol Hill staffers and K Street leaders on key issues Washington is dealing with. Sign up here if you work on K Street. Click here to sign up if you’re a senior congressional staffer.
— Zach Bradshaw
