⏰ Tick Tock
Days until Election Day (11/4/2025) - 27
Days to the start of the 2026 Utah Legislature (1/20/2026) - 104
Days until the 2026 midterm elections (11/3/2026) - 391
Days until the 2028 presidential election (11/7/2028) - 1,126
Voters pin blame for shutdown on Trump and the GOP
Day 8 of the shutdown, and voters mostly blame President Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress.
A new YouGov poll finds a plurality of Americans lay responsibility at the feet of Trump and congressional Republicans.
41% say Trump and congressional Republicans are mostly to blame.
30% blame Democrats more.
23% say both sides are equally to blame.
Unsurprisingly, the issue is highly partisan.
Eight in 10 Democrats polled say that Trump and Republicans in Congress are mostly to blame, while 71% of Republicans blame Democrats. Independents who don’t belong to either party lean toward blaming Trump and Republicans.
No one gets credit for the way they are approaching the situation. All three players have net negative approval ratings on the shutdown.
Donald Trump: -21%.
Republicans in Congress: -23%.
Democrats in Congress: -25%.
Again, partisans are cheering their own side while booing their opponents.
80% of Democrats blame Trump and Republicans.
71% of Republicans blame Democrats.
A plurality of independent voters (41%) blame Trump and Republicans, while 17% blame Democrats. 32% blame both sides equally.
Most voters want the sides to cut a deal. Sixty-three percent say both sides should compromise to end the shutdown, even if it costs some priorities. Thirty-seven percent prefer holding the line, shutdown or not.
Most Americans do not expect much personal disruption. Sixty percent say the shutdown will affect them a little or not at all. Twelve percent say a great deal, and 28 percent say somewhat.
If the shutdown drags on, pay attention to whether independent voters harden further against Republicans, or start to shift more of the blame to Democrats. More disruptions from the shutdown could move those Americans who expect little or no impact on their lives toward one side or the other. That’s where the real political risk lies.
Wednesday morning's headlines
Utah and the West
Podcast: New congressional maps and legislative shenanigans. [Utah Political Watch]
Utah delegation weighs in on new congressional map. [Deseret News]
Utah families face uncertainty as WIC funds dwindle due to government shutdown. [KUTV]
Trump admin offers up coal mining leases next to Utah's famed national parks. [Salt Lake Tribune]
Energy talk dominates Governor Cox's "One Utah Summit." [Fox 13]
Former Utah National Guard general says Trump's actions in Chicago, Portland are legal. [KSL]
Nation
President Donald Trump calls for jailing Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. [Newsweek]
Gov. Pritzker says President Trump is deploying National Guard troops to Chicago and Portland because he's suffering from dementia. [Chicago Tribune]
The White House has backed off plans for mass layoffs of federal workers because of the government shutdown. [CNN]
Staffing challenges create delays at airports for second day as shutdown drags on. [NBC News]
Will members of the military get paid during the government shutdown? [Punchbowl News]
Ex-FBI chief Comey to face charges brought under pressure from Trump. [Reuters]
Abortion providers say Missouri's attorney general is trying to get patient records. [Associated Press]
Young adult suicide rates are rising almost nationwide. [Axios]
Charlie Kirk leaked text confirms he was livid about "bullying" Jewish donors: "I'm leaving pro-Israel cause." [Daily Mail]
World
Trump ends Venezuela talks, military options loom, new report. [Fox News]
Economy
America's soybean farmers are panicking over the loss of Chinese buyers. [Wall Street Journal]
Nearly 70% of Americans think the economy is on the "wrong track" and even more think it's a bad time to buy a home. [Fortune]
Goldman Sachs sees gold hitting $4,900 by late next year. [Wall Street Journal]
America's economy is on a "sugar high" warns Ken Griffin, and investors retreating to gold is one sign of a comedown. [Fortune]
Environment
Global renewable energy generation surpasses coal for the first time. [Semafor]