Majority of Americans believe GOP won the government shutdown fight, CBS News poll shows

WASHINGTON, DC: Many Americans now believe that Republicans, and not Democrats, won the government shutdown battle, a new poll published on November 15 suggests.

The CBS News and YouGov poll, which was conducted between November 13 and 14, showed that 55% of Americans believe President Donald Trump and Republicans got more of what they wanted from negotiations that ended the shutdown.

According to the poll, only 6% of Americans believe Democrats came out on top and 24% said neither party won.

CBS News survey stands in stark contrast with polls taken amid shutdown

The poll results come weeks after Democrats cited their win in the 2025 elections as a referendum on Donald Trump and Republican leadership.

Interestingly, the survey also stands in stark contrast with polls taken amid the shutdown that showed Republicans bearing the brunt of voter criticism.

The government shutdown ended last week after a record-breaking 43 days, as eight Senate Democrats relented on their health care-related policy demands and voted with Republicans. 

Moreover, the Senate compromise quickly passed in the House, and Trump signed it into law hours later.

Democrats agreed to fund the government after GOP Senate leaders promised a future vote on extending Obamacare subsidies.

However, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said he would not commit to a similar vote in his chamber, and the health care proposal remains in limbo.

According to the CBS News survey, around 70% of Republicans believe their party compromised the "right amount" during negotiations, while 55% of Democrats said their party gave in too much. 

Moreover, around 60% of Americans disapprove of the way Democrats handled the shutdown, compared with Republicans (54%). 

Meanwhile, a majority of those polled (56%) stated that they disapproved of the way the POTUS led through the funding fight.

The survey was conducted among a sample of 1,288 adults across America who were initially surveyed during the shutdown. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.3 points.

Inside the government shutdown deal

As per the government shutdown deal, most federal agencies will receive funding through January 30, 2026.

Meanwhile, if the two parties don’t agree to another spending package by then, the government could shut down again.

The deal, signed into law by Trump, will fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2026, and provide additional funding for Veterans Affairs medical care.

Moreover, the lawmakers included more than $200 million in funding to increase security measures for members of the House and Senate and additional money for the protection of Supreme Court justices.

Another measure in the package allows a group of GOP senators — whose phone records were subpoenaed during the FBI’s 2020 election interference investigation — to sue the government for up to $500,000.

One of the most controversial measures added to the deal ends a loophole that for years allowed the unregulated sale of certain hemp products nationwide.