President Donald Trump‘s record-breaking State of the Union speech Tuesday night resonated with more than 6 in 10 prime-time viewers, according to a flash CNN poll.
The survey, conducted by SSRS, showed 64% of respondents had a very or somewhat positive reaction to Trump’s address, which lasted nearly two hours and was the first of his second term. By contrast, just 36% said they had a somewhat negative or very negative response.
In more positive news for Trump, 65% said they had a lot or some confidence in Trump’s ability to provide “real leadership” for the country, compared to the 35% who said they had no confidence.
The poll also found that 64% believe the policies Trump proposed will move the country in the right direction, with another 36% saying the policies would move the nation in the wrong direction.
During his speech, Trump called on lawmakers to ban institutional investors from buying up single-family homes, asked for them to codify his executive order giving “most favored nation” pricing for prescription drugs, and supported a crackdown on insider trading by members of Congress.
‘THESE PEOPLE ARE CRAZY’: SIX TAKEAWAYS FROM TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION
More than half of respondents, 54%, said that Trump has had the right priorities during his second term, with another 46% stating he hasn’t paid enough attention to the country’s most important problems.
Affordability has been a key issue for Trump, as economic uncertainty could threaten the GOP’s chances to maintain control of both chambers of Congress after the midterm elections. In the CNN poll, 62% said that Trump’s proposed policies on the economy specifically will move the nation in the right direction, compared to 38% who said it would move the nation in the wrong direction.
But in a warning sign for Trump, 40% said they had no real confidence in Trump’s ability to manage the cost of living, while 60% said they had a lot of confidence or some confidence in his ability to make the cost of living more affordable.
The poll also showed 62% approving of Trump’s proposed immigration policies.
Days before the speech, the Supreme Court handed Trump a significant economic loss by striking down his “Liberation Day” tariffs. Trump responded by partially reimplementing them at a 10% global rate under Section 122 of the 1974 Trade Act. Following the State of the Union, 51% said Trump is handling tariffs with an appropriate use of his power, while 49% said he was overstepping his executive authority.
