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October 7, 2025 | Press Release

Americans See Democrats’ Health Care Fight as Essential, Blame Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans for Government Shutdown

Washington, D.C. – The majority of voters blame Donald Trump and congressional Republicans for the ongoing government shutdown and strongly support Democrats’ efforts to protect affordable health care, a national survey released Tuesday by Senate Majority PAC has found.
By a margin of 52% to 40%, voters say Trump and congressional Republicans shoulder more blame for the shutdown than Democrats. That number increases for voters in the political center, who fault Republicans by a 21-point split (54% to 33%).
Notably, while voters are concerned about a lengthy shutdown, Congress addressing health care costs is a higher priority than ending the shutdown. By 62% to 31%, voters say preventing huge increases in health insurance premiums for 20 million Americans is more important than avoiding a lengthy government shutdown. Support grows to 64% to 30% among voters in the center.
Fifty-seven percent of respondents said stopping major increases in health insurance costs is an “essential priority.” Fifty-four percent said the same about reversing harmful Medicaid cuts that threaten coverage for millions and are forcing the closure of rural hospitals.
The survey of 1,242 likely 2026 voters, completed October 2–3 by Hart Research, is the latest in a series of national polls that found Democrats’ focus on preventing health insurance premium hikes and rolling back Trump’s Medicaid cuts is resonating with voters across the political spectrum, including those whose votes will be critical in winning key battleground Senate seats.
“Voters clearly see who’s responsible for this crisis. Donald Trump and Senate Republicans are holding the government hostage instead of protecting families from skyrocketing health care costs, and their fear-mongering tactics and lies are falling flat,” said Senate Majority PAC Spokesperson Lauren French. “Democrats are winning both the politics and the policy battle and should continue their efforts to protect 20 million Americans from catastrophic health care premium increases.”
According to the poll, 71% of voters — including three-quarters of those in the political center — agree with the statement that Congress must act now to address rising health care costs and Republicans “should not shut down the government by refusing to deal with the problem.”
Voters also reject Trump’s reported retaliation tactics during the shutdown. Nearly two-thirds (64%) disapprove of the Trump administration delaying infrastructure projects in Democratic states, and an equal share disapprove of using the shutdown to fire federal workers and eliminate federal programs.
Read the full polling memo from Hart Research. Additional data from the survey is below:
Voters blame Donald Trump and Republicans for the ongoing government shutdown.
The simple message that Trump and Republicans are in charge of the government has real power in reinforcing the recognition they are to blame for the shutdown.
  • By 52% to 40%, voters say that President Trump and Republicans in Congress are more to blame than Democrats in Congress for the federal government shutdown.
    • Notably, voters in the center of the electorate (43% of all voters who are neither strong partisans nor strong ideologues) blame Trump and Republicans more by 54% to 33%.
    • Trump is losing ground with non-MAGA Republicans (40% of all Republican voters), 25% of whom blame him and Republicans in Congress for the shutdown.
  • Sixty-eight percent of voters agree with this statement:
    • “Donald Trump is president, and Republicans have majorities in both the House of Representatives and Senate. They have the power to keep the government open and the government shutdown is their responsibility.”
The health care issues Democrats are championing in the shutdown fight are powerful with voters and cut across party lines.
The longer and more aggressively Democrats are litigating these issues in a shutdown fight, the bigger the price Republicans will pay for being on the wrong side of them.
  • 57% of voters say that “preventing big increases in the cost of health insurance for 20 million Americans who get coverage through the ACA” is an essential priority in resolving the shutdown.
    • This concern cuts across the political spectrum: 84% of voters on the left, 57% of voters in the center, and 30% of voters on the right consider it essential.
  • Highlighting Republican obstruction on health care is an extremely potent message for Democrats. Even when health care and government funding messages are explicitly identified as coming from “Democratic leaders,” they have a strong reach across party lines.
  • More than 70% of voters agree with the statement: “Congress needs to take action now to address the rising cost of health care and Republicans should not shut down the government by refusing to deal with the problem.”
While voters are concerned about a lengthy shutdown, addressing health care priorities is even more important to them.
Fighting for affordable health care is the high ground in this debate — even against Republican attacks about prolonging the shutdown.
  • By 62% to 31%, voters say that preventing huge increases in health insurance premiums for 20 million Americans is more important than avoiding a lengthy government shutdown (64% to 30% among voters in the center).
  • Even voters who say they would be very concerned by a lengthy shutdown (32% of all voters) say by a 25-point margin (62% to 37%) that preventing huge premium increases is more important to them than avoiding a lengthy shutdown.
In dealing with looming premium increases, voters want action now from Congress rather than a vague promise of talks later.
Democrats should emphasize their desire for genuine bipartisan compromise but not take pressure off Republicans on premium tax credits by accepting a deal.
  • When presented with the position of congressional Republicans and Democrats on when elected leaders should act on health care priorities, voters side with the Democrats’ “action now” position by 57% to 43%.
There is strong disapproval among voters for Trump’s pressure tactics, and Democrats gain an advantage by standing against the administration’s cuts.
The survey found Americans broadly disagree with Trump engaging in ugly retaliation tactics because he refuses to engage in serious negotiations with Democrats on a bipartisan compromise to end the shutdown.
  • When told that “the Trump Administration is canceling or delaying major infrastructure projects in Democratic states as a way of retaliating against Democrats who are standing up to Trump,” 64% say they disapprove of the Trump administration’s actions (46% strongly disapprove).
  • When told that “the Trump Administration is using the shutdown as a reason to undertake mass firings of federal employees and to terminate federal programs that Trump says are favored by Democrats,” 64% disapprove of his actions. (47% strongly disapprove).

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