The Great Partial Government Shutdown of 2019 was not without political casualties. According to a new poll conducted by NBC in conjunction with the Wall Street Journal, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi lost the good opinion of the public during the latest battle with President Trump.
From the Wall Street Journal:
Nancy Pelosi, who has gained new powers to oppose Mr. Trump through her role as House speaker, had a 28% approval rating, well below Mr. Trump’s and unchanged since last month. Her disapproval rating grew to 47% from 41% the month before.
And on Trump:
President Trump’s standing among Americans remained effectively unchanged even as he presided over the longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history, the latest example of how his unusual brand of politics has resonated with a strong core of supporters.Mr. Trump’s approval rating was at 43% in a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, with 54% disapproving of his job performance. That was the same mark as in a December survey taken 10 days before the start of the shutdown. The latest survey was conducted over a four-day period that ended Jan. 23, two days before Mr. Trump backed off his demand for border wall funding in what was widely viewed as a victory for congressional Democrats.In 2013, more Americans blamed the GOP lawmakers leading Congress than then-President Barack Obama, just as they did in the three shutdowns during President Bill Clinton’s time in office.While the president has displayed remarkable resilience—his approval rating has never been more than 4 percentage points higher than his current mark, or 5 percentage points lower—there has been an erosion in Americans’ views of how equipped Mr. Trump is for the job.Americans still give Mr. Trump positive marks on the economy. Some 51% in the new survey approved of his handling of the economy, with 45% disapproving. But asked to rate him on a set of leadership and personal qualities, as many or more Americans in the survey gave the president a low score than a high one.
The economy is always an important bellwether in elections, however, given the younger generation’s shift toward social justice mindedness, I suspect the tried-and-true “it’s the economy stupid” mantra to lose a bit of luster.
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