According to Echelon Insights polling data, President Trump's approval rating among parents of children under 18 dropped notably between October and November, with the percentage viewing him “very unfavorably” rising from 36% to 43%.

The poll suggests this decline, which also occurred among the wider population, may be linked to the federal government shutdown that delayed SNAP and LIHEAP benefits for low-income families and forced federal workers to work without pay. The shutdown particularly affected families with children, as 39% of SNAP recipients were children under 18 (in fiscal year 2023), and the delay in benefits likely increased food insecurity among vulnerable families who depend on these resources.

“The six week long shutdown had to do with all of these issues about healthcare, SNAP funding, the general cost of living, things that really affect American families and it was very clear that the administration was not particularly responsive to the issues that they even ran on in 2024,” says Shana Gadarian, Merle Goldberg Fabian Professor of Excellence in Citizenship and Critical Thinking.

Read more in the Newsweek article, “Donald Trump’s Approval Rating is Eroding Among Parents.”