Trump to deliver address as voters sour on his economy

President Donald Trump will deliver his prime-time State of the Union address on Tuesday night as polls show voters are negatively affected by his economy, after promising working-class voters to lower prices.

Trump will speak at a critical moment. Coming midterm elections in less than nine months threaten to unravel the near-complete control over Washington he had in his second term. Opinion polls also show that Trump has drifted away from what were once his top issues: the economy and immigration.

The economy is expected to feature heavily in Trump’s speech, especially after the Supreme Court last week struck down Trump’s authority to impose broad tariffs that were a key part of his economic platform.

“You’re going to hear a lot about the importance of bringing jobs back to our country,” Vice President J.D. Vance said in an interview on Fox News on Saturday. “I think he will talk about regulatory change and the importance of lowering energy prices for American citizens.”

High prices of everyday goods are one of the biggest problems facing Trump in his second term. Democrats are pressing the president and other Republicans on affordability, an issue that resonates with voters.

One CNN/SSRS According to the poll released Monday, 57 percent of respondents said the economy was the issue they most wanted Trump to talk about in his State of the Union address. Immigration came in second, with only 13% of survey respondents saying it was the issue they most wanted the President to talk about.

Democrats held a 4.8-point lead in the general congressional vote heading into the 2026 midterm elections. RealClearPolitics voting averages Trump underwater by 13 points same average. Meanwhile, 57% of voters disapprove of his recent management of the economy. Washington Post/Reuters/Ipsos poll.

“It’s mainly the economy,” said David Paleologos, a pollster and director of the Center for Political Research at Suffolk University, when asked about the most important issue Trump should address during his speech. “I’m not saying Trump should have a ‘I feel your pain’ moment [former President] “It’s Bill Clinton, but he has to sort of compare himself to his fellow Americans who are injured and down.”

In recent speeches on the economy, Trump has touted moves to lower prescription drug prices, including striking deals with manufacturers and launching the online drug site TrumpRx.

“This is the largest price cut in history on prescription drugs,” Trump said in a speech in Des Moines, Iowa, in January. “It will also have a big impact on your health care.”

Trump also recently tried to blame affordability on Democrats, saying in Iowa that Democrats “just say affordability but don’t do anything.”

“I was saving the country from the horror show we inherited. Grocery prices, plane tickets, hotels, car payments, and rent went down. And they went down very fast,” Trump said.

The president and Republicans in Congress also touted the tax cuts they enacted in party legislation they called “a big, beautiful bill.”

Democrats, meanwhile, will respond to the president’s State of the Union statement in a variety of ways.

Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia will offer the official rebuttal for Democrats after romping to victory in 2025 with an affordability-focused agenda.

Spanberger’s speech is expected to focus heavily on issues such as costs and whether the president is overreaching in his efforts to deport immigrants. The Trump administration has come under fire for its sanctions on immigrants following the shooting deaths of two US citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis.

“We are at a defining moment in our nation’s history. Virginians and Americans across the country are struggling with rising costs, chaos in their communities, and the real fear that each day can bring,” Spanberger said in a statement as he was announced as the official rebuttal speaker. he said.

“I think Abigail Spanberger will stay on message,” Paleologos said. “The average voter, and certainly the average undecided voter, is moderate and reasonable. And whoever gets out of control will potentially be the loser.”

A group of Democrats plans to attend an alternative event called “The People’s State of the Union” organized by progressive advocacy group MoveOn and left-wing media company MeidasTouch.

Among the big names who eschewed Trump’s speech for the alternative event was Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. and Ed Markey, D-Mass. and Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

“These are not normal times, and joining this conversation puts a veneer of legitimacy on the corruption and lawlessness that has defined his second term,” Murphy said in a statement about the boycott. he said.

Other Democrats will also attend the speech. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged his members to avoid flashy protests if they attend.

“The two options we have at home are either to participate in silent defiance or not to participate and send a message that way to Donald Trump,” Jeffries said. he said.