More than a dozen Democratic senators joined Republicans in voting to confirm President Donald Trump’s latest nominee. The Senate approved former Georgia senator David Perdue to serve as U.S. ambassador to China, a key diplomatic role given ongoing trade and national security issues involving the world’s second-largest economy.
The cloture vote passed 64–27, clearing the 60-vote threshold required to move the nomination forward. In 2022, Trump endorsed Perdue during his Republican primary challenge against Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, though Perdue was ultimately unsuccessful.
At the same time, new polling suggests the Democratic Party may be losing ground among one of its core voter groups: younger Americans.
The development comes as Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, continues to face criticism following a federal government shutdown that ended without Democrats securing key concessions from Republicans.
According to recent focus groups conducted by Engagious and Sago in the battleground state of Georgia, several swing voters expressed frustration with Democrats for prolonging the shutdown before ultimately ending it without obtaining commitments to address rising health insurance premiums.
Some participants who supported Trump in November said they still expect Democrats to help protect health care affordability and maintain safety-net programs for lower-income Americans.
However, in this week’s discussions, seven of the 13 voters who switched from supporting Joe Biden in 2020 to backing Trump in 2024 said Democrats came out of the shutdown looking worse than Republicans. Two said Republicans appeared worse, while four believed both parties shared responsibility, according to Axios.
“They gave in to the Republicans,” said Trilya M., 53, of Loganville, referring to Democratic lawmakers. “They didn’t hold their ground, and now it’s going to affect people who rely on the Affordable Care Act.”
Christine L., 54, of Peachtree City, added: “What was it all for? It really makes them look bad.”
Another participant, Elijah T., 33, of Conyers, questioned whether the party’s actions aligned with its stated priorities.
“They always say they’re the party for people who are struggling — those in poverty or who feel disenfranchised,” he said. “But their actions seem to contradict that.”
Brian B., 61, of Norcross, also criticized Democratic leadership, saying, “Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries dragged this out for 41 days before eight Democrats finally decided enough was enough.”
Rich Thau, president of Engagious and moderator of the focus groups, told Axios the shutdown appeared to deepen skepticism among swing voters.
“Democrats gave voters who already view the party unfavorably another reason to distrust them,” Thau said.
Eight of the 13 participants said they approve of the administration’s overall performance since Trump returned to office in January.
Those who disapproved cited issues such as inflation, rising grocery costs, concerns about the job market, aggressive immigration enforcement, and a belief that the administration has not approached governing with sufficient seriousness, Axios reported.
The outlet observed two online focus groups involving 13 Georgia voters who backed Biden in 2020 but switched to Trump in the 2024 election.
Nine participants identified as independents, three as Republicans, and one as a Democrat. While focus groups are not statistically representative like standard polling, they can offer insight into how some voters interpret political events.
Eleven of the 13 participants said they were aware of recent Democratic victories in off-year elections in traditionally Democratic areas, including races in Virginia, New Jersey, California, and New York City.
Ten of the thirteen respondents also said they would support a constitutional amendment establishing an upper age limit for future U.S. presidents, with most suggesting a range between 65 and 75 years old.
Meanwhile, an editorial published by the New York Post argued that many Democratic voters feel discouraged after the prolonged shutdown failed to produce concessions from the Republican majority.
“Democrats pointlessly kept the government shut down for 41 days (and still counting!), purely to satisfy their squalling left flank’s need to do something to ‘resist’ President Donald Trump,” the editorial stated.
It added that after initiating the shutdown, Democrats said their goal was to pressure Republicans into extending expiring pandemic-era subsidies tied to the Affordable Care Act — subsidies that Democrats themselves had scheduled to expire in 2021.
