Approval Plummets: Suddenly Americans Care About Shutdowns?
Trump's approval rating allegedly hit a new low over his handling of a government shutdown, according to Newsweek. How quaint. We're meant to gasp at the temporary disruption to federal services, rather than question why these 'disruptions' are so easily weaponized. The real story isn't a dip in approval polls, it's the permanent shut down of vital public services and social safety nets for
decades, often defunded by politicians who then scream about temporary federal closures. Where's the poll on approval for permanent cuts to healthcare, housing, or education? Those don't make headlines. The media's selective outrage paints government shutdowns as an anomaly, rather than a performative act in a larger, continuous defunding operation. One might ponder why the public's 'approval'
becomes paramount only when the inconveniences reach the suburbs, while the systematic gutting of public good largely goes unremarked upon. It appears some 'shutdowns' are more equal than others.