Trump Approval Rises Amid Government Shutdown Blame on Republicans

President Donald Trump's approval rating has slightly increased to 42% amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, which has entered its third week. Despite widespread public frustration with the shutdown, polls indicate that Americans primarily blame Republican lawmakers more than Democrats for the impasse. The shutdown, which began on October 1, has caused furloughs for hundreds of thousands of federal workers and disrupted services such as air travel. Notably, the current shutdown is not diminishing Trump's support as much as the 2018-2019 shutdown did; his net approval rating has actually improved slightly during this period. Additionally, a majority of Americans, including many Republicans, support extending expiring health insurance subsidies, viewing them as important enough to keep the government closed until a resolution is reached. This shift in public opinion contrasts with the previous shutdown experience, where Trump faced more blame and a decline in approval.