The Schumer Shutdown has taken a surprising turn that should have Democrats in a panic. CNN has analyzed the polling data, and situation looks really bad for the Democrats. It turns out the Republican Party is actually gaining ground with voters during the shutdown, creating a nightmare scenario for Chuck Schumer and his caucus. The numbers tell a remarkable story of political miscalculation by Democrats, who seem to have badly misread the public mood.
When CNN’s John Berman asked data analyst Harry Enten about how the shutdown has affected Republican political standing, he didn’t sugarcoat it for the left. “You might think, given that the Republicans are in charge of both the House and the Senate, that a government shutdown might actually hurt the Republican brand. But, in fact, it hasn’t. If anything, it’s been helped a little bit,” Enten explained. He pointed to the hard data showing the Republican Party’s overall brand up two points. Meanwhile, the net approval ratings for Republicans in Congress have jumped five points since before the shutdown began.
Democrats were really counting on the “Republicans control the House, Senate, and White House” talking point to work… but it clearly hasn’t. And the implications are staggering for Senate Democrats, who have now blocked Republican attempts to reopen the government 13 times. Rather than inflicting political damage on the GOP, Schumer’s obstruction strategy appears to be backfiring spectacularly. Enten drove home the point, noting what Republican leaders John Thune and Mike Johnson must be thinking: “Why should we give, electorally speaking, when our brand has actually improved a little bit?”
Even more problematic for Democrats is where Republicans are gaining support. The shutdown isn’t just rallying the GOP base, as one might expect during partisan battles. “Change in the Republican Congress’ net approval rating versus pre-shutdown. It’s rallying the base for sure. Look at this, the net approval rating up 12 points versus pre-shutdown,” Enten observed. But then came the real kicker: “But it’s not just with the base. It’s also with the middle of the electorate. Look at this. Among independents, it’s up eight points as well.”
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This dual improvement represents the political holy grail that parties dream about during such standoffs. Enten elaborated on why this matters so much: “Something could rally the base but alienate those in the middle, or something could rally those in the middle but alienate the base. But the truth is, we’re not seeing that. What we’re seeing is the Republican brand has actually gotten better among independents, and it’s also gotten better among Republicans as well.” He concluded with the obvious question: “What’s the electoral reason that Republicans would give in at this point?”
Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
For Democrats eyeing the midterm elections, the news gets even worse. The generic congressional ballot, traditionally a strong indicator for Democratic performance during Republican presidencies, shows Democrats in their weakest position in twenty years. While Democrats maintained an 11-point advantage at this stage during Trump’s first term, they now hold a mere three-point lead. Enten was blunt about the implications: “This is, in fact, the worst position Democrats have been on in a generic ballot at this point in a midterm when there was a Republican president in the last 20 years.”
🚨 HOLY CRAP! CNN is SHOCKED after learning Republican approval rating SKYROCKETS during Chuck Schumer’s shutdown…BRUTAL.
“It’s actually UP 5 POINTS since pre-shutdown! The Republican brand HAS IMPROVED!” 🤯
“Up 8 POINTS among Independents!”
“Up 12 points with the base!”… pic.twitter.com/qCW5UX3jtH
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 28, 2025
The fact that CNN is reporting these numbers at all speaks volumes about how poorly the Schumer shutdown strategy is playing out. This isn’t Fox News or conservative media spinning positive narratives for Republicans. This is CNN acknowledging that Democrats are losing a battle they thought would be a cake walk. When asked directly whether this represents a concerning number for Democrats, Enten said what was what: “This is a concerning number for Democrats because it’s considerably worse than they traditionally do in midterm elections when there’s a Republican president.”
Democrats have been holding the government hostage for nearly a month now, having voted down Republican funding bills 13 times while federal workers go without pay and air travel grinds to a halt. Their latest excuse—that Republicans must first agree to extend Biden’s expiring Obamacare subsidies before reopening the government—has backfired spectacularly. What was supposed to be a clever pressure tactic has turned into a political disaster. Even a few Democratic senators are starting to sweat. Chuck Schumer bet big that voters would pin the shutdown on Republicans, but that gamble has gone down in flames. Americans see right through the Democrats’ cynical game, and the polling proves it. When even CNN is forced to admit the strategy has collapsed, it’s safe to say the left’s talking points aren’t fooling anyone anymore.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is still ongoing, and polls are now showing Americans are increasingly blaming the Democrats for this mess, but we can’t let them spin their way out of it.
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