AJC: “[…] A majority say they blame President Donald Trump and his Republican allies for the partial government shutdown that sparked the mess.”
New polling reported on in the AJC today found that a majority of Georgians “blame” President Trump and his Republican allies for the partial government shutdown “mess” that has caused chaos and hourslong delays at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
The new data comes as Senate Democrats have tried to fund TSA for weeks while negotiations over reforms to ICE continued, and Republicans continued to block these proposals repeatedly.
GOP U.S. Senate candidates Buddy Carter, Mike Collins, and Derek Dooley have all stood by Senate Republican efforts to block Democratic proposals to end the government shutdown, pay TSA agents, and stop the chaos at airports across the country.
AJC Politically Georgia: Political turbulence
By Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell, Patricia Murphy and Adam Beam | April 1, 2026
KEY EXCERPTS:
- Just how much political damage is the airport chaos causing? A new poll suggests plenty.
- Roughly three-quarters of Georgia voters say they have “serious concerns” about the Transportation Security Administration turmoil that has triggered hourslong delays and staffing shortages at Hartsfield-Jackson.
- And a majority say they blame President Donald Trump and his Republican allies for the partial government shutdown that sparked the mess. That’s compared to 42% who blamed Democrats.
- The poll…reveals two-thirds of independent voters say Trump and Republicans are at fault […]
- The same poll showed Trump facing mounting political backlash. About 41% of voters approve of his job performance, compared to 54% who disapproved. Nearly two-thirds of independents disapprove.