Washington D.C. – After President Donald Trump’s recent speech, a CNN poll conducted by SSRS revealed that the Republican-heavy audience had a generally positive reaction. While most viewers believed that Trump’s policies would lead the country in the right direction across various issue areas highlighted in the speech, there were mixed feelings about his ability to provide real leadership and use presidential power responsibly.
The poll showed that about 70% of speech-watchers had at least a somewhat positive response to Trump’s speech, with a smaller 44% expressing a very positive reaction. This was lower compared to ratings from previous presidential addresses to Congress. The audience composition for Trump’s speech was notably more Republican compared to the general public, typical for such events.
The speech attracted attention when a Democratic member of Congress, Rep. Al Green, was ejected from the House chamber following a protest effort that was deemed inappropriate by 8 in 10 Americans who watched the speech. Prior to the speech, about 6 in 10 viewers approved of Trump’s handling of the presidency, contrasting with Trump’s overall approval rating with the American public, which was below 50%.
Results of the survey conducted after Trump’s speech showed that there was little change in the audience’s already-positive perspectives of his policies. While some viewers expressed confidence in Trump’s ability to provide real leadership or use presidential power responsibly, fewer had confidence in his ability to help people like them.
Trump’s highest marks from the night were for his policies on immigration, which were viewed positively by 76% of speech-watchers. However, his proposed policies on different issues, such as changes in how the government works, the economy, and tariffs, received mixed reactions from the audience.
Overall, annual presidential addresses rarely lead to significant shifts in public opinion, especially in recent years. While historically, first-year addresses to Congress tend to receive better ratings, Trump’s nonconsecutive term and the current political polarization may limit the impact of his speech on broader public approval.
The CNN poll was conducted with 431 US adults who watched the presidential address, providing an insight into the reactions of speech-watchers. Results have a margin of sampling error, emphasizing that the findings represent the views of that specific audience only.