What can we expect from President Trump’s State of the Union address?
Here’s what to expect from President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.
Ahead of President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union address of his second term, a new poll shows a majority of Americans disapprove of his performance, particularly on inflation, tariffs and foreign policy.
A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll released on Sunday, February 22nd (just two days before President Trump’s much-anticipated address to Congress) found that 6 in 10 Americans, 60%, disapprove of the way President Trump is handling his role. Of these, 47% expressed strong disapproval. Another 39% said they approve of the president’s performance.
According to the pollster, the last time President Trump’s disapproval rating reached 60% was immediately after the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
The poll was conducted among 2,589 U.S. adults over five days, February 12-17, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.
An average of other recent New York Times polls shows the president’s disapproval rating is 56%, while his approval rating is 41%.
The latest poll also reveals deep partisan divisions. Among respondents, 85% of Republicans said they approve of President Trump’s job performance. Conversely, both Democrats and independents significantly disapprove of the president, with 94% of Democrats and 69% of independents. These numbers are roughly the same as the partisan breakdown from the previous survey in October 2025.
The poll does not suggest overwhelming support ahead of President Trump’s State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, February 24th. There are just over two weeks left until 2,026 primary voters head to the polls in three states on March 3.
Still, a majority’s negative opinion of the president doesn’t seem to automatically benefit Democrats.
Polls show Americans trust Congressional Democrats less than Trump on immigration and the cost of living. Overall, 38% say they have more confidence in the president to tackle immigration, with 34% choosing Congressional Democrats. When it comes to cost of living, 32% said they preferred Trump and 32% preferred Democrats.
In a poll, 64% of Americans said they viewed the Democratic Party as “out of touch,” and 64% said the same about the president.
Looking at six major issues, President Trump’s performance had the lowest approval rating on inflation, with 65% saying they did not approve and 32% saying they approved. Tariffs also received a low rating, with an approval rating of 34% and a disapproval rating of 64%, but opinions regarding the president’s response to the overall economy were slightly higher, with an approval rating of 41% and a disapproval rating of 57%.
On immigration, 40% said they approve of President Trump’s policies and 58% disapprove, but Trump’s footprint on the southern border drew the most positive numbers, with 47% approving and 50% disapproving.
Kathryn Palmer is USA TODAY’s political reporter. She can be reached at the following address: kapalmer@usatoday.com And to X@Kathryn Purml. Sign up for her daily politics newsletter here.
