A new poll by the Pew Research Center shows a big part of the reason why the standoff over funding President Trump's border wall has been so impossible to solve: Republican support for the wall is higher than at any time since Trump's election, while Democratic support has dwindled to almost nothing.
The big picture: When the divide has gotten this big, it's hard to see how the government shutdown ends. Although a majority of the public still opposes the wall, Republican support is so high that Trump and GOP leaders would face a furious backlash if they reopen the government with no wall funding. And Democrats would face an even stronger backlash if they agree to fund the wall.
By the numbers:
- Overall, 58% of the public opposes expanding the wall along the border with Mexico, while 40% supports it.
- And a slight majority — 51% — says funding the wall would be unacceptable even if that's the only way to end the shutdown. Just 29% say reopening the government without wall funding would be unacceptable.
- But a clear majority of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents — 63% — don't want Trump and the GOP to end the shutdown without wall funding.
- And an even stronger majority of Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents — 84% — oppose ending the shutdown by funding the wall.
The bottom line: This is why our political system is so broken — and why federal workers are going to food banks.
