Trump to Address Congress Amidst Divided Approval Ratings
President Donald Trump is set to deliver a primetime address to Congress on Tuesday, aiming to highlight what his administration considers a highly productive first six weeks back in the White House. Trump himself has boasted of having the "Best Opening Month of any President in history," emphasizing his accomplishments, albeit many of them controversial, since his inauguration on January 20th. In a social media post last week, he teased his upcoming speech, proclaiming that "TOMORROW NIGHT WILL BE BIG. I WILL TELL IT LIKE IT IS!"
However, this address arrives amidst a backdrop of divided public opinion. Recent polls reveal a nation split on Trump’s performance thus far. A Marist College poll for PBS News and NPR shows Trump with a 45% approval rating and a 49% disapproval rating. Similarly, a CNN survey places his approval at 48%, with 52% disapproving. While these figures indicate a nation divided, other polls, including one from CBS News, suggest slightly more positive sentiment, placing his approval ratings "slightly above water."
The partisan divide is stark, unsurprising given Trump’s polarizing nature. Surveys consistently show overwhelming disapproval among Democrats, while Republicans largely support his actions. This pattern underscores the deep political polarization that characterizes the current American landscape.
Despite the current divisions, Trump’s approval ratings at this stage of his second term are notably higher than during his initial entry into the White House in 2017. During his first four years, he consistently faced negative approval ratings. Daron Shaw, a politics professor at the University of Texas and a member of the Fox News Decision Team, points to the solidified support of the Republican Party as a key difference between 2017 and 2025. "He never had support among Democrats in the first administration, but he also had some trouble with Republicans," Shaw noted. "The party’s completely solidified behind him."
Trump’s administration has moved quickly, implementing a series of executive orders and actions that have fulfilled campaign promises, asserted executive authority, reshaped the federal government, reduced the federal workforce, and addressed perceived grievances. Fox News reports that Trump has signed 81 executive orders since his inauguration, a rate exceeding that of any recent predecessor in their first weeks in office.
The president is expected to showcase these moves in his address, including his crackdown on immigration, threats of tariffs on trade partners like Canada and Mexico, and changes to international agendas, including freezing foreign aid.
Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, characterizes the administration’s approach as a "flooding-of-the-zone," with multiple significant actions occurring daily. "We’re just seeing a lot of things happening with little time for the public to digest," Miringoff said, adding that this rapid pace creates a sense of things moving "just a little too fast" among the public.
While his current approval ratings represent an improvement from his first term, they remain lower than those of recent presidents at the same stage of their presidencies. Shaw notes that neither Trump nor former President Joe Biden enjoyed a traditional "honeymoon period," with the usual initial leeway from the opposing party absent in both cases.
In comparison, Biden’s approval rating hovered in the low to mid 50s during his first six months, with disapproval in the upper 30s to low to mid 40s. However, his numbers declined in the late summer and autumn of 2021, following criticism of his handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, rising inflation, and increased migration along the southern border. Biden’s approval ratings remained negative for the rest of his presidency. "He just got crippled and never recovered," Shaw observed.
Currently, Trump’s average approval rating, based on recent national polls, is marginally positive. However, it has slightly decreased since his return to the White House, from the low 50s in late January to the current level.
Veteran political scientist Wayne Lesperance, president of New England College, believes the initial "honeymoon" is over. "The honeymoon is over, and he’s actually governing, and that typically does bring numbers down," Lesperance said. "I expect the numbers to continue to slip as the changes in Washington really do begin to impact people’s everyday lives."
Despite this expected decline, some economic factors work in Trump’s favor. Shaw points out that Trump’s economic rating is "about minus four," which is significantly better than Biden’s. He also enjoys positive ratings on immigration and crime. "His best issue right now is crime. He’s plus ten on crime," Shaw said. However, inflation remains a crucial factor. "If prices remain high, he’s going to have trouble," Shaw warned, emphasizing the importance of economic conditions in shaping Trump’s political future.
Trump’s address to Congress is poised to be a significant moment, where he will attempt to solidify his support base, present a compelling vision for his second term, and potentially sway public opinion. However, the current landscape, characterized by deep partisan divisions and economic uncertainties, presents a formidable challenge. The nation, and likely the world, will be watching to see how Trump navigates these complexities and the direction he sets for the remainder of his term. The speech will be broadcast live on Fox News and other major news networks.
