Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s decision to hold the government hostage over health care for illegal immigrants has backfired.
New polling data showing Republicans have gained ground with voters since the shutdown began after Democrats have repeatedly voted against funding the federal government.
A Quinnipiac University poll released October 22 revealed that Republican approval in Congress jumped five points since July, climbing from 33 percent to 35 percent. Democrats, meanwhile, remain deeply unpopular with voters, holding a dismal 26 percent approval rating and a net approval of -41.
CNN data analyst Harry Enten expressed surprise at the findings during a Tuesday segment.
“You might think that given that Republicans are in charge of both the House and the Senate, a government shutdown might actually hurt the Republican brand. But, in fact, it hasn’t!” Enten said. “We’re seeing here the Republican brand in Congress has actually improved somewhat compared to pre-shutdown, despite the fact that Republicans control [the House, Senate and White House].”
“And that’s the math that John Thune and Mike Johnson are looking at, saying, ‘Hey, why should we give in electorally speaking, when our brand has actually improved a little,” Enten revealed.
SHOCKING: CNN’s statistician Harry Enten reveals Republicans popularity has surged 3 points since the government shutdown. “It's actually up 5 points since pre-shutdown. So what we’re seeing here is the Republican brand in Congress has actually improved somewhat.”
House… pic.twitter.com/4buo5USYCv
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) October 28, 2025
A stunning 82 percent of Republicans approve of the congressional GOP, while only 58 percent of registered Democrats approve of their party’s leadership. Among independents, 27 percent approve of Republicans compared to just 19 percent for Democrats.
The shutdown entered its 22nd day after Democrats refused to pass a government funding bill without an extension of illegal immigrant healthcare and other tax credits. Schumer and congressional Democrats have refused to budge, and claim they can win the messaging battle with the American people.
President Donald Trump’s overall approval rating stands at 40 percent, up from 38 percent in September. His approval on handling the Israel-Hamas conflict spiked to 47 percent following the recent ceasefire deal.