Tipsheet

Pollster Throws Cold Water on CNN Host's Polling Narrative About the Schumer Shutdown

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  October 01, 2025 7:00 AM

The Democrats aren’t going to win this fight. They can’t. The House and Senate Democratic caucuses may be on the same page this time, as opposed to the previous spending fight, but they lack a clear agenda or message. Sorry, health care for illegal aliens, repealing a rural healthcare fund, and refunding National Public Radio aren’t national action items. No one cares about that either, except for the crusty, unhinged white boomers who don’t get that they cannot recreate ’68. Also, this shutdown is going to harm Democrats more—they’re laying off their own people in the process.

Yesterday, as Congress squabbled, CNN tried to show how poorly Trump was doing, which is an old trope. Every poll is likely to be inaccurate, as most focus on the president and his supporters. It’s a fact: the polling industry cannot accurately gauge this slice of the electorate. The network had Frank Luntz to throw cold water on the polling narrative by stating two simple things: the Democrats’ approvals are worse, and they will be blamed more for the shutdown by their supporters.

It's why Luntz, who is no Trump lackey, said that the GOP holds the cards right now in this fight.