It’s a record setting 23 days and counting…..
Axios….
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) suggested that President Trump reopen the federal government “for a short period of time” to see if Congress can reach a deal to fund a border wall during an interview on “Fox News Sunday,” cautioning that Trump is “not going to give in” on his demands for the border….
53% of Americans blame President Trump and congressional Republicans for the ongoing partial government shutdown — now the longest in history — while 29% blame congressional Democrats, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
By the numbers: The results are unsurprisingly skewed across party lines as 68% of Republicans blame Democrats in Congress and 85% of Democrats blame Trump and the congressional GOP. A majority of Americans (54%) also oppose Trump’s idea of a border wall while 42% support it, but those numbers are trending in the president’s favor as 63% opposed a wall while 34% supported it one year ago….
The Hill….
President Trump on Sunday hit Democrats for their hesitance to include protections for beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in talks to end a prolonged government shutdown, despite his own administration’s insistence that the program be left out of negotiations.
“Democrats are saying that DACA is not worth it and don’t want to include in talks,” Trump tweeted. “Many Hispanics will be coming over to the Republican side, watch!”…
Huffington Post…
Hoping to avoid the backlash that the Obama administration received when it shuttered parks during the 16-day government shutdown in 2013, the Trump administration opted to keep them open ― albeit with a skeleton crew of staff and without most visitor services.
One NPS ranger who requested anonymity to comment candidly told HuffPost he feels like a “pawn” in a political battle over Trump’s demands for a border wall, which of course has nothing to do with parks or park employees.
The 18-year veteran of the service said he is “angry,” “frustrated” and “extremely stressed out.” He is among the 420,000 “essential” federal employees still at work, while his wife is one of the approximately 380,000 on furlough. Hundreds of thousands of government employees missed their first paycheck on Friday….
Politico..
Trump’s message on the shutdown — blaming Democrats for refusing to concede on his border wall — isn’t convincing the American public. Instead, the majority of Americans think Trump and Republicans are at fault for the shutdown, according to two new polls. A Washington Post-ABC News found that 53 percent of respondents blamed Trump and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown, while 29 percent blamed Democrats. Thirteen percent of respondents said both sides were equally to blame.
Another poll from CNN found that 55 percent of respondents blamed Trump, while 32 percent blamed Democrats. Nine percent blamed both sides.
Trump’s disapproval ratings are also rising, with the CNN poll showing his overall rating getting worse by 5 percentage points since the shutdown started.
With Democrats refusing to approve any money for the wall — while insisting Trump reopen the government even while negotiations continue — Hill Republicans are now trapped in a situation where their lead messenger’s appeal is designed for base voters and isn’t speaking to the broader American public.
Yet in what could be a troubling omen for any deal to end the stalemate, Trump’s message on the wall is growing more popular with Republicans, according to both polls…..
image…Andrew Hanik/AP