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Cracks are beginning to form in President Donald Trump’s Republican base. A poll released Wednesday by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 32% of Republicans disapprove of the way Trump is managing the government, up from 19% in March. His approval rating among independents fell from 38% to 25%, and among Democrats from 9% to 5%. Trump’s double-digit declines with Republicans and independents drove his approval rating with U.S. adults down to 33%, a 10-point drop from March. The AP-NORC poll was conducted after Democrats’ major electoral victories but before the Senate passed a funding bill to end the longest government shutdown in U.S. history. The House returned to session Wednesday for a floor vote on the legislation, which did not include an extension of enhanced Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax subsidies that will expire at the end of this year. The bill passed by a vote of 222-209, and the White House announced that Trump would sign the legislation at 9:45 p.m. ET in the Oval Office. Even as the 43-day shutdown draws to an end, the Trump administration will be tasked with addressing cost-of-living increases and rising health insurance premiums that have caused concerns within the Republican base. According to the latest AP-NORC poll, 68% of Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of the economy, down from 78% in March. Independents’ approval dropped from 29% to 22%. About three quarters of the Americans believe Congress should extend the expiring tax credits, including 94% of Democrats, 76% of independents and half of Republicans, according to a KFF poll released on Nov. 6. Average out-of-pocket health insurance premiums are projected to climb from $888 to $1,904 per year if the tax credits are not extended, according to estimates from KFF.
