Tipsheet

Uh Oh, Even CNN Is Admitting the Schumer Shutdown Isn't Going Well for Democrats

Jeff Charles
Jeff Charles  |  October 28, 2025 1:45 PM

The Schumer shutdown isn’t going so well for Democrats. In fact, the optics are so bad for them that even CNN is admitting it.

CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten, during a recent broadcast, was shocked by polling numbers showing how Republicans are faring under the shutdown, which has entered its fourth week. When asked about the polling, Enten responded, “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.”

However, this has not been the case, according to the analyst. “f anything, it’s been helped a little bit! Take a look here, the shift in net popularity versus pre-shutdown. When we’re looking at the Republican Party overall, that brand, actually up two points. That’s within the margin of error, but clearly it hasn’t dropped,” he continued.

He noted that the GOP’s net approval has risen by five points since before the shutdown. He explained that the increase in approval comes from the Republican base — but that it also comes from “folks in the middle.”

“This is the type of math that if you’re Republicans you like to see, right? Because something could rally the base but alienate those in the middle, or something could rally those in the middle, but alienate the base,” Enten said. “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 that Republican brand when it comes to those in Congress.”

Meanwhile, Democrats aren’t faring so well, according to Enten, who pointed out that “when Trump was president the first time around, Democrats were up 11 points,” but now, “they’re actually only up three points.”

He added: “This is, in fact, the worst position Democrats have been on in a generic ballot at this time in a midterm when there was a Republican president in the last 20 years.

This data demonstrates the poor position Democrats have found themselves in since the 2024 election. They are still trying to find their footing after the devastating losses they sustained last year — and they still have a long way to go.

Government shutdowns typically work in Democrats’ favor, regardless of which party controls the legislature and White House. But this time is different, for many different reasons. If this data holds, the next midterm elections might not turn out the way they normally have in years past.