President Donald Trump's approval rating saw a slight bump in a new poll despite the ongoing government shutdown. And 51% of survey respondents said they would credit the president for brokering the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal if it holds.

A six-day poll by Reuters/Ipsos released Oct. 21 gave the president a 42% approval rating, a two-point increase from the pollster's last survey earlier this month − though the jump is still within the poll's margin of error.

The pollster's surveys since early April have placed the president's approval numbers between 40% and 44%.

In the New York Times' polling averages, Trump stands at a 43% approval and 53% disapproval as of Oct. 22. The RealClearPolitics polling average is a few points higher, with 45% approving and 52% disapproving. Both averages continue the months-long trend of largely stagnant, net-negative numbers.

The poll was conducted Oct. 15-20, surveying 4,835 U.S. adults. It has a margin of error of ±2 percentage points.

The majority of Americans support Palestinian statehood

Yet while the survey indicates Americans support the ceasefire deal and lean toward giving Trump credit for his role, it shows that the president is more out of step with the public on the issue of Palestinian statehood.

According to the poll, most Americans think the U.S. should recognize Palestinian statehood, a position the administration − and prior administrations − have not pushed forward. A growing number of countries, including several of America's closest allies, Britain, Canada, France and Australia, formally recognized Palestinian statehood in recent weeks, prompting condemnation from Israel.

Trump has largely backed Israel in its more than two-year war with Hamas, launched after the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, that killed about 1,200 Israelis, including many civilians. Israel's bombardment has decimated large swaths of Gaza and killed more than 67,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health authority.

A 59% majority of respondents said they backed the recognition of a Palestinian state, and 33% opposed recognition. The remaining 8% were unsure or did not answer the question.

Support for an independent Palestinian state breaks down along party lines: It is strongest among Democrats, with 8 in 10 in backing the idea, and 41% of Republicans backing it.

Some 60% of poll respondents said Israel's response in Gaza was excessive, and 32% disagreed.

Republicans take more of the blame for shutdown

The government shutdown has entered its third week and is now the second longest in history at 22 days. Between the two parties, the survey found Republicans are taking more heat for the crisis than their Democratic colleagues.

As of Oct. 22, there are no indications Congress will reach a breakthrough before Trump takes off in a few days on Oct. 24 for a multi-day trip to Asia. As the impasse edges closer to the one-month mark, the poll found 50% of respondents point the finger at Republican congressional leadership, followed by 43% who blame congressional Democrats for it.

The results mirror several other polls released during the shutdown, which have shown more Americans blame Trump and congressional Republicans for the federal government shutdown than congressional Democrats by slight majorities.

Contributing: Reuters.

Kathryn Palmer is a politics reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump approval ticks up while majority of Americans back Palestinian state, poll finds

Reporting by Kathryn Palmer, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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