An overwhelming majority of voters feel the three-day federal government shutdown was "mainly unnecessary," and they blame Democrats and President Donald Trump almost equally, according to a new Quinnipiac University poll.
The poll also found that most voters are dissatisfied and angry with the government and dislike lawmakers from both parties: 77 percent of voters are "dissatisfied or angry" with how the federal government works, while just 21 percent are satisfied.
Other key findings include:
- 84 percent of voters say the shutdown was "mainly unnecessary," while 13 percent say it was necessary.
- 32 percent of voters blame Democrats for the shutdown, while 31 percent blame the president and 18 percent blame Republicans.
- An even 28 percent of independent voters blame Democrats and Trump, compared to 20 percent who point the finger at Republicans.
- 70 percent of voters disapprove of Congressional Republicans, compared to 24 percent who approve.
- 63 percent disapprove of Democratic lawmakers, compared to 30 percent who approve.
- 51 percent of respondents say they want Democrats to win control of the House, compared to 38 percent who favor Republicans.
- 53 percent of voters want Democrats to win control of Senate, compared to 39 percent for Republicans.
- 75 percent of Americans support allowing "Dreamers" — undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children — to stay here.
- Among Republicans, 49 percent favor letting Dreamers stay; 37 percent disapprove.
- 65 percent of voters disapprove of the way Trump is handling the Dreamers issue, versus 30 percent who approve.
- 68 percent of voters disapprove of the way Congressional Republicans are handling the Dreamers issue.
- 50 percent of voters disapprove of how Democrats are handling the issue, compared to 42 percent who approve.
"American voters to the Democrats in Congress: We don't like you and we like your Republican counterparts even less," assistant poll director Tim Malloy said in a statement. "But that shutdown, it's on the Democrats and President Trump. And it was a big waste of time."
The shutdown ended after Senate Democrats approved a short stopgap spending bill after Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said he would schedule a vote on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), which protects the Dreamers.
The telephone poll surveyed surveyed 1,245 voters nationwide between Jan 19- 23. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
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