Who do you blame for the government shutdown?

That's the question we posed for USA TODAY readers in our latest Opinion Forum, just hours after the federal government pressed pause on Oct. 1. Hundreds of readers from across the country submitted their opinions – and the responses were far from unanimous. The Republican voters we heard from put the onus on their own party and President Donald Trump, though many were also quick to incriminate Democrats. The Democrats we heard from faulted Republicans and Trump more than their own, while independents spread the blame evenly among both.

What we heard from readers like you reflects the larger sentiment in the country and among our own columnists. A Washington Post survey conducted the same day found that most Americans blame Trump and Republicans – 47% – while 30% criticized Democrats for the shutdown and 23% said they were "not sure."

Trump is no stranger to shutdowns. His first term saw a three-day shutdown in January 2018 and a 35-day shutdown from December 2018 into January 2019 – our longest ever. As the latest shutdown continues, we want to hear from you. How have you been affected? What concerns you most? What will it take to resolve this and reopen the government? Read on for some of the responses we've gotten from readers. Send us yours to forum@usatoday.com.

To be honest, I’m totally sick of the back-and-forth between........

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