...
By Sam Stevenson
Associate News Editor
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
President Donald Trump's State of the Union (SOTU) speech on Tuesday was the least popular this century, according to a new snap poll.
A CNN survey found that Trump's latest SOTU address drew the weakest reaction of any modern address, with positive reactions even sliding across his two terms.
But CNN's political director David Chalian warned: "This is a poll of speech watchers. So it is not a poll that is reflective of the population overall... What we know about people who tune into SOTU addresses is that they tend to be fans of whichever president is giving the speech."
Read More
Donald Trump Speech Missed Some Marks: Newsweek Writers’ SOTU Verdicts6 min read
Donald Trump’s SOTU Speech: 5 Biggest Bombshell Moments4 min read
Epstein Survivors Trash Donald Trump After SOTU Address6 min read
He added: "The polling universe here is about 13 points more Republican than the overall population."
White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement: “The same CNN polling showed 64 percent of speech-watchers felt the country is headed in the right direction. President Trump is delivering on his popular and commonsense America First mandate that nearly 80 million Americans elected him to do.”
OPINION: Donald Trump Speech Missed Some Marks - Newsweek Writers' SOTU Verdicts
...
Why It Matters
State of the Union speeches usually give presidents a boost among their own supporters, so a poor polling performance on Tuesday reinforces broader signs of trouble in Trump's polling.
With midterm elections approaching, difficulty energizing even supportive viewers raises fresh questions about how well Trump's message is landing with voters Republicans will need to win over to maintain control of Congress.
What To Know
Chalian said that a majority of SOTU viewers reacted positively overall, but enthusiasm was thin. Just 38 percent called the speech "very positive," while 36 percent rated it negative—an unusually narrow gap for a SOTU address.
While 63 percent offered at least a somewhat positive view, barely four in 10 felt strongly positive.
The trend is also moving in the wrong direction for Trump. His "very positive" score has fallen steadily from his previous addresses—down from 44 percent in 2025, and far below peaks in his first term, including 59 percent in 2019 and 57 percent in 2017.
How Trump's SOTU Compares With Previous Presidents
Trump's latest snap results lag those of former presidents. In 2022, President Joe Biden's speech drew a "very positive" result of 41 percent, while Obama's 2010 and Trump’s 2018 addresses both reached 48 percent.
Meanwhile, George W. Bush's 2002 speech remains the high-water mark at 74 percent.
"Donald Trump is at the bottom of this. Even among fans of the president who tuned in tonight, you're seeing his broader trouble in the polls. He's at a low point," Chalian said.
As with all instant SOTU polls, the sample reflects speech watchers who tend to be more politically engaged.
Nevertheless, the numbers suggest Trump struggled to energize his own audience, and fell short of the lift presidents typically achieve from the night.
The numbers CNN provided from previous leaders only covered their midterm-year polls.
What People Are Saying
White House spokesman Davis Ingle told Newsweek in an emailed statement: "The ultimate poll was November 5th 2024 when nearly 80 million Americans overwhelmingly elected President Trump to deliver on his popular and commonsense agenda.
"The President has already made historic progress not only in America but around the world. It is not surprising that President Trump remains the most dominant figure in American politics."
Democratic congressional campaign committee communications director Courtney Rice told Newsweek: "Costs are too high and Americans are feeling it every day. No matter how many lies Trump and Republicans tell themselves and attempt to sell voters on, the receipts don't lie. Tonight, House Republicans' worst fears came true: Trump is going to force them to campaign on his price-spiking, health care cutting, corrupt agenda."
During his SOTU address, Trump said: "As we speak, Democrats in this chamber have cut off all funding for the Department of Homeland Security."
He later added: "These people are crazy. They're crazy. Democrats are destroying the country, but we stopped it in the nick of time."
Republican Representative Don Bacon, who has been critical of Trump over tariffs and foreign policy, said: "This was a good speech on affordability. An hour was spent on it, and that's what he should be dwelling on."
Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana said: "What I was hoping he'd do would be to talk about the things moms and dads worry about when they lie down at night to sleep and can't. And he did."
Delivering the Democratic response to Trump's SOTU address, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger said: "He lied, he scapegoated, and he distracted, and he offered no real solutions to our nation's pressing challenges, many of which he is actively making worse. We did not hear the truth from our president."
What Happens Next
The muted polling response adds to mounting pressure on Trump as Washington turns to budget battles, policy showdowns and the early midterm fight, where enthusiasm and turnout will be critical tests for his agenda.
...
Update, 02/25/26, 04:00 a.m. ET. This article was updated with more information.
Update, 02/25/26, 09:36 a.m. ET. This article was updated with a new White House statement.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines