Trump And Republican Approval Ratings Today Meet Historic Low As Potential Government Shutdown Looms

A new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll out today reports that Trump’s approval ratings today have hit historically low marks, as 39 percent of respondents approved of the president and 57 percent disapproved, reports NBC News. The news outlet reports this as the “lowest mark in the poll’s history” attributed to any contemporary president. Further, an ABC News/Washington Post poll out today reports that as a potential government shutdown in the United States looms, the majority of respondents said they would blame the president and Republicans if this became a reality.

NBC News reports that in addition to the 57 percent who disapproved of the president, 51 percent “strongly” disapproved, noting this is a “record high” in Trump’s disapproval ratings today. At the end of President George W. Bush’s first year in office, he had an 82 percent approval rating, President Bill Clinton’s approval rating was 60 percent, and President Obama finished his first year in office with 50 percent approval rating.

The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll was conducted after Trump was said to have used profanity last week on a matter of immigration. Respondents in this poll were asked to pick words that described how they felt about that controversy. Thirty-eight percent used the word “disgusted,” 24 percent said they were “scared,” and 11 percent said they were “angry.”

Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducted the poll with Republican Bill McInturff, said the following on that.

“At the time of his inauguration, ‘hopeful’ was the most used word about the 2016 results. But at the end of his first year, ‘disgust’ was the word most cited about him.”

Donald Trump has been receiving tweets from his own voters about controversies that have occurred within the past week. The tweets echo some of the sentiments found in this latest poll.

I voted for you but I do not like the bullying or name calling, please act more presidential or I may have to vote differently next time @realDonaldTrump

— Carolyn Corbin (@CarolynCorbin7) January 17, 2018

I voted for you, but you’ve lost me now.

— John Hough (@jhoughlaw1) January 12, 2018

I voted for you! But never again. I do not like my presidents with TRASH mouths!

— Harold Montgomery (@montydaman) January 17, 2018

In addition to measuring Trump’s approval ratings today, this week’s polls have measured how America feels about the potential government shutdown in the United States. An ABC News/Washington Post poll found that politically speaking, a potential shutdown poses greater risks for Republicans than for Democrats by a 20-point margin.

More respondents in an ABC News/Washington Post poll this week said they would be more likely to blame Donald Trump and congressional Republicans than Democrats if a government shutdown were to occur. However, Donald Trump says it would be the Democrats fault if that happens.

In the ABC News/Washington Post poll, 48 percent said they would blame Trump and the Republicans if a government shutdown in the United States occurred. Twenty-eight percent said they would blame Democrats, and 18 percent said they would blame both parties for being unable to come to a resolution.

Forty-six percent of voters identifying as Independent said they would also blame Republicans. ABC News reports that more women even more Republican women by 16 points, would blame Donald Trump and Republicans if a government shutdown in the United States were to occur.

These numbers differ from 2011 when a government shutdown loomed under President Obama. ABC News reports that in March 2011, 45 percent of respondents said they would blame Republicans and not the president if a shutdown occurred.

FiveThirtyEight describes approval numbers in the Trump era as “abnormally unpopular” and concurs that Trump’s approval ratings are historically low. Today’s new poll shows that with a potential government shutdown looming, Americans are not leaning in favor of Republicans when it comes to approval ratings, and this could be a problem for the GOP come midterms, notes FiveThirtyEight.

FiveThirtyEight also reports that numbers for Democrats ahead of midterms “look like they’ll be very good.” However, FiveThirtyEight also notes that could change if Trump’s approval ratings take an uptick. At present, no president has had approval ratings as low as Trump’s approval ratings today since President Harry Truman.

Much of the low Trump approval ratings stem from the Trump Russia investigation being conducted by special counsel Robert Mueller. Bloomberg reports that the Mueller investigation is one area of government that would not be impacted by a government shutdown. If a government shutdown in the United States occurred, Robert Mueller would still keep going to work.

Department of Justice spokesperson Ian Prior said in an email that all employees working on the Russian interference probe are exempt from mandatory furloughs. Additionally, approximately 83 percent of the Department of Justice employees would continue to work, including those jobs necessary “to protect life and property” and employees whose salary is financed by sources that do not fall under annual appropriation mandates.

All criminal litigation in America would continue in the event of a government shutdown, but civil litigation would be postponed.

Meanwhile, Trump voters continue to tweet him directly what their approval ratings of Trump today are, using words instead of numbers. There are some Trump voters that feel the Congress will turn blue come midterms, while others call Trump a liar.

https://twitter.com/AviJared/status/954371762468384768

@realDonaldTrump I voted for you, but you have become the biggest embarrassment. I thought you'd be different from the regular Washington liars, you are worse. You don't stick to your word, speak nothing but lies and blame it on everyone else. 1 vote lost.

— Matt Noble (@matt_noble75) January 15, 2018

@realDonaldTrump i and my family voted for you to get rid of obamacare u did not!!!! We continue to be screwed!!!! But yet you are willing to give amnesty to millions and millions of people who broke the law! So u enjoy being a one term LIAR!

— Denise McIntosh (@DeniseMcIntos14) January 10, 2018

Donald Trump is not the only Republican getting heat from voters on Twitter as a potential government shutdown looms. Senator Mark Warner and Senator Lindsey Graham have been fielding complaints as well.

I voted for you but shutting down the government over illegal immigration makes no sense at all. I once thought you were a reasonable centrist but you're no different than Chuck Shumer.

— David Knauth (@fighting142) January 19, 2018

I have voted for you for the last time. I used to respect you but you have proven you are just as much of a liar as the Racist-in-Chief. You need to resign since you are no longer able to do your job and put COUNTRY OVER PARTY.

— Thumper (@MileHighThumper) January 12, 2018

As Donald Trump’s approval ratings today take more hits, key Republican approval ratings do not fare much higher. Vice Impact reports that between January and June 2017, Vice President Mike Pence’s approval ratings averaged slightly higher than Donald Trump’s at 42.1 percent. No recent polling on Mike Pence approvals have been conducted since, but many Americans have questions about how Mike Pence handled the firing of former national security advisor Michael Flynn.

Vice Impact also reports that 14 vice presidents have ascended to the presidency in America’s history. Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan has an even lower approval rating than Trump’s approval ratings today, with 34 percent approval in July of this year, reports Bloomberg Politics.