Brace yourself for a staggering verdict: a mere 8% of Americans think Democrats came out on top in the recent government shutdown clash, according to a fresh Economist/YouGov survey.
According to Breitbart, after a grueling 43-day standoff—the longest shutdown in U.S. history—only a tiny fraction of the public credits Democrats with a win, while 39% believe neither side claimed victory, and 35% hand the laurels to Republicans.
This historic gridlock, which shuttered federal operations for over a month, finally ended last week when President Donald Trump signed a clean continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through January 2026.
The shutdown’s roots lie in a bitter partisan tug-of-war, with Democrat leadership repeatedly rejecting Republican offers for a straightforward CR, instead pushing for $1.5 trillion in spending that included controversial allocations for progressive media and healthcare for unauthorized migrants.
The consequences were brutal—20,000 flights were delayed or canceled, leaving travelers stranded and frustrated during a standoff that many saw as avoidable.
President Trump didn’t mince words on the matter, pointing the finger squarely at his opponents for the chaos that unfolded.
“For the past 43 days, Democrats in Congress shut down the government of the United States in an attempt to extort American taxpayers for hundreds of billions of dollars for illegal aliens and people that came into our country illegally,” Trump declared.
Let’s unpack that—while the rhetoric is fiery, the core grievance about fiscal irresponsibility and misplaced priorities resonates with many who see government spending as already out of control. Why should taxpayers foot the bill for policies they didn’t sign up for?
“They caused 20,000 flights to be cancelled or delayed; they departed so many times so late. People were hurt so badly,” Trump added, highlighting the real-world pain inflicted by the deadlock.
The Economist/YouGov survey, conducted November 15-17 among 1,549 U.S. citizens with a margin of error of +/- 3.5%, paints a grim picture for Democrats hoping to claim a moral victory.
Even among their own base, only 14% felt Democrats prevailed, while 25% credited Republicans and a whopping 45% saw no winner at all—a damning report card for party leadership.
Republicans, on the other hand, seem more confident in their stance, with 52% of their voters declaring victory, though 26% still shrugged and said neither side triumphed.
Independents, often the bellwether of public mood, were even less impressed—46% said neither party won, 28% tipped their hat to Republicans, and a measly 4% sided with Democrats.
The final resolution, a clean CR that funds key areas like agriculture, military construction-Veterans Affairs, and the legislative branch through September 2026, feels like a Band-Aid on a deeper wound of partisan dysfunction. Isn’t it time for both sides to prioritize stability over political theater?