The border wall remains popular only with the president’s base, and shutting down the government over the issue seems unlikely to win new fans.
By insisting on a border wall, President Trump is emphasizing an issue that may be popular with his base but seems unlikely to attract new supporters.
There has been little polling since the government shutdown began last month, but what there is indicates that voters oppose a border wall, blame the president for the shutdown, believe the shutdown will have adverse consequences and don’t believe the government should be shut down over the wall.
The wall has consistently been unpopular, with voters opposed by around a 20-point margin over months of national surveys. That makes it even less popular than the president himself.
View the complete January 12 article by Nate Cohn on The New York Times website here.