With a looming February 15 deadline to fund parts of the US government, few are optimistic the President and Congress will be able to reach agreement in time to prevent another partial shutdown, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS.
Nearly two-thirds (64%) say an agreement is unlikely to happen before the deadline, with pessimism stretching across party lines. Majorities of independents (67%), Democrats (65%) and Republicans (57%) say an agreement is unlikely.
Almost 7 in 10 say the federal government is doing a bad job of governing, including 43% who say it’s the worst job of governing in their lifetimes. That’s about double the share who said the same in early 1996 (21%) following a government shutdown that was the longest on record until last month. Just 19% say the federal government is doing a good job.
Donald Trump’s overall approval rating stands at 40% approve to 55% disapprove in the new poll, a slightly more positive read than in January during the shutdown, but not a statistically significant improvement. His approval rating for handling immigration — the issue at the heart of the shutdown — stands at 41%. Although that is also not a significant improvement compared with his ratings before the shutdown, it is his best read on the matter in CNN polling since April 2017.
But most still disapprove of the President’s work on the issue (54% disapprove) and the public is largely opposed to Trump’s proposed paths forward on the wall he pledged to build along the southern border between the United States and Mexico. Two-thirds say he should not declare a national emergency in order to build the wall (66% should not vs. 31% should), and 57% say they would oppose another partial government shutdown over wall funding.
The President’s base, however, is playing a different tune. Among conservative Republicans, there is massive support for another government shutdown (78% would favor that if no agreement is reached including wall funding) or for the declaration of a national emergency in order to build the wall (72% favor that).