Trump's SOTU Speech Least Popular This Century: Poll

Just 38% of viewers called the address "very positive" while 36% rated it negatively.

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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A new CNN poll has revealed that President Donald Trump's latest State of the Union address was the least popular SOTU speech this century. The survey found that only 38% of viewers called the speech "very positive," while 36% rated it negatively - an unusually narrow gap for a SOTU address. The trend is also moving in the wrong direction for Trump, with his "very positive" score falling steadily from previous addresses.

Why it matters

The poor viewer reaction to Trump's SOTU speech suggests he is struggling to energize his base and achieve the typical lift presidents get from the high-profile address. This could have implications for his political standing and agenda going forward.

The details

The CNN poll found that while a majority of viewers (63%) offered at least a somewhat positive view of the speech, barely four in 10 felt strongly positive. Trump's "very positive" score has fallen from 44% in 2025 to just 38% this year, far below peaks in his first term including 59% in 2019 and 57% in 2017. In comparison, President Biden's 2022 SOTU drew a "very positive" rating of 41%, while Obama and Bush both reached higher marks in their midterm-year speeches.

  • President Trump delivered his latest State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 25, 2026.

The players

Donald Trump

The former president of the United States who delivered the 2026 State of the Union address.

Joe Biden

The current president of the United States, who delivered the 2022 State of the Union address.

Barack Obama

The former president of the United States, who delivered the 2010 State of the Union address.

George W. Bush

The former president of the United States, who delivered the 2002 State of the Union address.

David Chalian

CNN's political director, who provided analysis on the poll results.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— David Chalian, CNN Political Director (Newsweek)

“The polling universe here is about 13 points more Republican than the overall population.”

— David Chalian, CNN Political Director (Newsweek)

The takeaway

Trump's struggling to energize his base and achieve the typical lift presidents get from the State of the Union address could have implications for his political standing and agenda going forward. The poor viewer reaction suggests he may be losing ground with his core supporters.