This discrepancy is not new. At the core of Donald Trump’s extraordinary nine-year saga lies a divide between media analysis and the sentiments of certain segments of the American populace. For the majority of commentators – aside from the right-wing outlets devoted to the leader’s persona – the president’s address to Congress on March 4 felt like a reiteration of his public statements from the preceding seven weeks. It was effectively a campaign address: divisive, identity-driven, and laden with falsehoods. How can the public opinion polls conducted that evening be interpreted?
A CBS poll revealed surprising support among Americans, with 76% expressing approval for the president. The speech instilled feelings of hope (68%) and pride (54%) among viewers. It’s important to contextualize these numbers: Only 20% of surveyed viewers identified as Democrats, while 51% identified as Republicans. The left, feeling stunned and disheartened, showed little interest in enduring this lengthy, self-congratulatory speech. The average audience size was 36.6 million, compared to 47.7 million during his first address in 2017. A notable concern is the timing of this address, occurring very early in the presidency. The Trump administration isn’t tasked with defending an existing record; rather, it is advancing aggressively, challenging federal norms, expanding the executive’s reach, and establishing clear ideological lines. In essence, this marks the beginning of a so-called “common sense revolution.”
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