Democrats’ anger at federal government hit record high just days before shutdown: Pew poll
A recent Pew Research Center survey has unveiled a striking emotional divide among Americans regarding their feelings toward the federal government, coinciding with the looming threat of a 43-day government shutdown. Conducted from September 22 to 28, 2025, the poll reveals that nearly half of the population (49%) expresses frustration with the federal government, while 26% report feelings of anger. Only 23% of respondents claim to be content, highlighting a significant discontent across the nation. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, anger has surged to 44%, marking the highest level recorded since Pew began tracking these sentiments in 1997. This figure represents a notable increase from 34% during Donald Trump’s presidency, with only a mere 8% of Democrats currently feeling satisfied with the government.
In stark contrast, Republicans and GOP leaners display a more positive outlook, with 40% expressing contentment, while only 9% report feelings of anger. This shift indicates a significant emotional gap between the two parties, which Pew notes is the largest ever recorded. Trust in the federal government is at an all-time low, with just 20% of Americans believing it can be relied upon to do what’s right most of the time. Among Democrats, trust falls into single digits, while Republican trust has increased slightly since last year. The survey illustrates a troubling trend: frustration has been a constant sentiment for nearly three decades, but recent data suggests a structural shift where anger and contentment are rising along party lines. This divergence reflects how Americans are processing the ongoing political landscape, particularly in response to the Trump administration’s influence.
As the nation approaches the 2026 midterms, Pew researchers are committed to monitoring these emotional trends, as they could indicate shifts in political engagement and voter behavior. The survey underscores a critical conclusion: the divide in American politics extends beyond mere partisan lines, delving deep into the emotional experiences shaped by the current political climate, particularly under the shadow of Trump’s continued influence. As public sentiment evolves, it is clear that the interplay of frustration, anger, and contentment will play a significant role in shaping the future of American governance and electoral outcomes.
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America’s emotional divide over the federal government has never been wider, according to a new
Pew Research Center
survey showing record-high anger among Democrats, rising Republican contentment and near-collapse levels of public trust, all captured days
before the government plunged into a 43-day shutdown.
The probability-based, nationally representative poll, conducted Sept. 22-28, 2025, found nearly half of Americans (49%) say they feel frustrated with the
federal government,
26% say they are angry and only 23% say they are basically content.
Pew reports that 44% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents now say they feel “angry” toward the federal government, the “highest share expressed by members of either party in surveys dating back to 1997.”
IT WON’T GET ANY BETTER: WASHINGTON FACES ANOTHER LOOMING GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
The number has jumped 10 points from 34% among Democrats during President Trump’s first term.
Just 8% of Democrats say they are content.
Republicans and GOP leaners
show a dramatically different mood with 40% reporting contentment, half as frustrated and 9% angry. GOP anger, by comparison, peaked during the Obama and Biden administrations.
Pew says this emotional gap between the parties is now the largest ever measured.
Only about 1 in 5 Americans say they trust the federal government to do what’s right “just about always” or “most of the time,” a level Pew notes is “one of the lowest in the nearly seven decades since the question was first asked.”
YOUNG AMERICANS GIVE BIG THUMBS DOWN TO DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, TRUMP: POLL
Democratic trust
in the federal government sits in single digits in this wave. Republican trust, while still limited, is higher than it was a year ago before Trump was re-elected president.
Pew’s long-running trend shows frustration has been the nation’s default mood for nearly three decades, but this survey captures a rare structural shift with frustration dipping slightly, while both anger and contentment rise almost entirely along party lines.
That movement, Pew says, signals deepening emotional and political distance between Americans who are reacting to the same Trump administration in completely different ways.
Fox News Digital
has requested comment from the White House on the survey’s findings.
Pew researchers say they will continue tracking these attitudes into the
2026 midterms
, noting that large swings in anger and trust have historically preceded shifts in political engagement and voter behavior.
For now, Pew’s new survey offers one conclusion that is hard to ignore. Americans aren’t just divided by politics, but by how they emotionally experience Trump 2.0.
