Nathan Howard/Reuters via CNN Newsource
HAMDEN – Twenty-two days into a government shutdown after Congress hit a budget impasse, 45% of registered voters think Republicans in Congress are more responsible for the government shutdown, while 39% think Democrats are more responsible and 11% volunteered that they think both parties are equally responsible, according to a Quinnipiac University national poll of registered voters released today.
While Democrats and Republicans hold each other’s party more responsible for the government shutdown, independents think 48% blame Republicans in Congress and 32% think Democrats are more responsible and 14% think both parties are equally responsible.
President Trump
Forty percent of voters approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president, while 54% disapprove.
This compares to Quinnipiac University’s Sept. 24 poll when 38% approved and 54% disapproved.
Congress job approval
Twenty-six percent of voters approve of the way the Democrats in Congress are handling their job, while 67% disapprove and 7% did not offer an opinion.
This compares to Quinnipiac University’s July 16 poll when 19% of voters approved of the way the Democrats in Congress were handling their job, 72% disapproved, and 10% did not offer an opinion.
Thirty-five percent of voters approve of the way the Republicans in Congress are handling their job, while 59% disapprove and 6% did not offer an opinion.
This compares to Quinnipiac University’s July 16 poll when 33% approved of the way the Republicans in Congress were handling their job, 62% disapproved, and 5% did not offer an opinion.
Control of U.S. House of Representatives
If the Congressional midterm elections were held today, 50% of voters say they would want to see the Democratic Party win control of the U.S. House of Representatives, while 41% say they would want to see the Republican Party win control.
Democrats and Republicans would overwhelmingly want to see their respective parties win control of the House.
Among independents, 52% say they would want to see the Democratic Party win control of the House, while 32% say they would want to see the Republican Party win control of the House, and 16% did not offer an opinion.
“The GOP takes the harder hit for the grinding government shutdown while the Democrats, despite a miserable approval rating, get the nod on which party should control the House,” said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.
Israel-Hamas Conflict
When it comes to President Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, 47% approve, while 41% disapprove, with 11% not offering an opinion.
This is a significant change from Quinnipiac University’s Sept. 24 poll when 31% of voters approved of the way Trump was handling the conflict, 56% disapproved, and 13% did not offer an opinion. Of course, the results take into account the announced cease-fire treaty and hostage for prisoner exchange.
Nearly 7 in 10 voters (68%) think President Trump should get either a great deal of credit (34%) or some credit (34%) for negotiating the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that led to the release of Israeli hostages, while nearly 3 in 10 voters (27%) think President Trump should get either not much credit (14%) or no credit at all (13%).
Forty-two percent of voters are either very confident (9%) or somewhat confident (33%) that the United States can negotiate a lasting peace between Israel and Hamas, while 56% of voters are either not so confident (28%) or not confident at all (28%).
“Approval for President Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict leaps as hostages are released and a fragile ceasefire holds. But the optimism is tempered by voters’ concerns that the promise of peace may just be temporary,” added Malloy.
Trump handling of issues
In addition to Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, voters were asked about his handling of three other issues:
- the military: 43% approve, while 52% disapprove, with 5% not offering an opinion;
- the economy: 38% approve, while 57% disapprove, with 5% not offering an opinion;
- the Russia – Ukraine war: 36% approve, while 54% disapprove, with 10% not offering an opinion.
This is the lowest score for Trump’s handling of the economy since February 2017 after he first took office when the Quinnipiac University Poll began asking the question.
Trump’s handling of the economy reached its previous low of 39% approval among voters four times since 2017, most recently in a Sept. 24, 2025 poll when 39% of voters approved of Trump’s handling of the economy, 56% disapproved, and 5% did not offer an opinion.
“With a nearly 20-point gap between approval and disapproval on President Trump’s handling of the economy, it’s a low water mark for a president who promised a vibrant and muscular economy,” Malloy said.
U.S. cities
A majority of voters (56%) disapprove of President Trump sending the National Guard and law enforcement from federal agencies, including ICE, to cities in the United States in an effort to reduce crime, while 41% approve.
1,327 self-identified registered voters nationwide were surveyed from Oct. 16-20 with a margin of error of +/- 3.5 percentage points, including the design effect.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Doug Schwartz, Ph.D. since 1994, conducts independent, non-partisan national and state polls on politics and issues.
