Trump’s Primetime Address: A Showman Returns to Congress Amid Mixed Polls and Frenetic Activity
Former President Donald Trump, ever the master of spectacle, is poised to deliver a highly anticipated address to a joint session of Congress. This primetime event marks a pivotal moment in his second term, offering him a platform to shape the narrative and directly address the nation on his administration’s priorities and actions.
The President himself has amplified the anticipation, teasing the speech with characteristic bravado on social media. "TOMORROW NIGHT WILL BE BIG. I WILL TELL IT LIKE IT IS!" he declared, hinting at a candid and unapologetic presentation of his vision for the country.
As Trump prepares to command the attention of Congress and the nation, he enters this moment with a potentially advantageous polling position compared to his initial entry into the White House eight years prior. Recent surveys indicate a more favorable, or at least less unfavorable, public sentiment.
A national survey conducted by Marist College for PBS News and NPR places Trump’s approval rating at 45%, with a disapproval rating of 49%. A separate CNN poll shows a slightly higher approval rating of 48%, with a disapproval rating of 52%. While these figures still indicate a net negative, they represent a potential improvement over his historically low approval ratings at the start of his first term. However, other polls, such as one conducted for CBS News, suggest his approval ratings are "slightly above water," reflecting the volatile and polarized nature of public opinion regarding the former president.
Despite these slightly improved numbers, Trump’s approval ratings are notably lower than those enjoyed by his successor, Joe Biden, during the early months of his presidency. Biden consistently maintained approval ratings in the low to mid 50s, with disapproval ratings ranging from the upper 30s to the mid 40s.
Trump’s return to the White House has been marked by an intense flurry of activity. Within his first six weeks back in office, he has unleashed a wave of executive orders and actions, fulfilling key campaign promises while simultaneously reasserting his executive power and making significant alterations to the federal government. These actions include notable cuts to the federal workforce and the settling of various long-standing political grievances.
Trump has proudly promoted his aggressive use of executive authority, boasting on social media about his administration’s accomplishments. He explicitly touted that he has had the "Best Opening Month of any President in history."
As of the recent date, Trump has signed 81 executive orders since his inauguration, a pace significantly exceeding that of any recent predecessor during their initial weeks in office.
It is widely expected that Trump will use his address to Congress to showcase these actions, even those that have sparked significant controversy. These include a stricter approach to immigration enforcement, the threat of tariffs on major trading partners such as Canada and Mexico, revisions to the nation’s international agenda, and a freeze on foreign aid.
This rapid pace of change has not gone unnoticed. Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist Institute for Public Opinion, pointed to the inundation of policy changes, noting that the public has had little time to adequately process their implications. He stated that the "net effect of it all is there’s a sense, on the part of the public, that some things are moving just a little too fast."
An analysis of recent national polls suggests that Trump’s approval ratings, while hovering around even, have actually experienced a slight decrease since his return to the White House in late January. Initial polls indicated approval ratings in the low 50s and disapproval ratings in the mid 40s.
Veteran political scientist Wayne Lesperance, president of New England College, explained this trend by pointing to the end of the "honeymoon" period and the beginning of actual governance. "The honeymoon is over, and he’s actually governing, and that typically does bring numbers down," Lesperance stated. He further predicted that Trump’s approval ratings would likely continue to decline as the impacts of his policies become more tangible in people’s daily lives.
The political climate surrounding Trump remains highly polarized. According to the CNN survey, 90% of Republicans approve of Trump’s performance, while 90% of Democrats disapprove. Independents, by a margin of 59% to 41%, disapprove.
While Trump’s current approval ratings represent an improvement over his initial standing during his first term, when he was consistently "underwater," they still lag behind Biden’s early-term numbers.
However, it is important to remember that Biden’s approval ratings significantly deteriorated in the late summer and fall of 2021, in the face of criticism over the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, rising inflation, and an increase in migrants at the southern border. Biden’s approval ratings remained negative for the remainder of his presidency.
Trump’s upcoming address to Congress presents him with a crucial opportunity to address the concerns of the American public, outline his vision for the future, and potentially shift the narrative surrounding his presidency. However, the highly polarized political landscape and the rapid pace of policy changes will present significant challenges. Whether he can successfully navigate these obstacles remains to be seen.
