Pollster Dan Cox said on Tuesday that the ongoing partial government shutdown’s effects on the economy will negatively impact President Trump.
“People are really apt to judge things by what’s been going on recently,” Cox, research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, told Hill.TV’s Joe Concha on “What America’s Thinking.” “With the shutdown, I think that’s going to play a role, I think, in perceptions we’re seeing.”
“We’re seeing increasing economic pessimism, and that has significant political implications,” he continued. “It’s been one of Trump’s strong suits, his role in managing the economy.”
“If that goes away, I think that portends something that’s a little bit in trouble for him,” he said.
Trump has frequently touted economic growth under his administration, pointing to the decreasing unemployment rate, among other indicators.
However, economists say the economy is likely to take a hit from the shutdown, which is currently in its fifth week amid an impasse between Trump and Democrats over funding for a border wall.
Trump has demanded $5.7 billion to construct his long-promised border wall, but Democrats have said they will not budge on his funding request.
An NPR/PBS News Hour/Marist survey released last week found that Trump’s approval rating within the past month dropped 7 points to 39 percent, while his disapproval sits at 53 percent.
— Julia Manchester
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