- President Trump’s address to Congress received positive reactions, with 76% approval in the CBS poll and 69% in the CNN poll. Republicans and Independents largely supported the speech.
- The CBS poll consisted of 1,207 respondents while the CNN poll consisted of 431 people interviewed.
- Both polls had a larger Republican sample size than Democratic due to Republicans higher viewership of Trump’s speech.
Full Story
President Donald Trump delivered his address to Congress on Tuesday, and two post-speech polls indicate that a large majority of Americans who watched the address approved of his remarks.
Rather than simply reporting the poll results, this article provides a deeper look at how public sentiment was measured. Understanding the full context of these polls helps paint a clearer picture of the public’s reaction to Trump’s speech.
CBS News poll findings
According to a CBS News poll, 76% of viewers approved of Trump’s speech, while 23% disapproved. Additional results showed:
- 71% felt inspired.
- 68% said the speech made them feel “hopeful.”
- 54% felt “proud.”
- 27% felt “worried.”
- 16% felt “angry.”
Who did CBS poll?
The CBS News poll surveyed 1,207 people, with the following political affiliations:
- 51% identified as Republican.
- 27% identified as Independent.
- 20% identified as Democrat.
- 2% identified as none of the above.
The released poll, conducted in partnership with YouGov, does not specify how each party answered individual questions.
CNN poll findings
A separate poll conducted by CNN also gauged public reaction:
- 69% had a positive reaction to Trump’s speech.
- 31% had a negative reaction.
- 66% believed Trump’s policies would move the country in the right direction, while 34% disagreed.
- 59% said Trump had the right priorities while 41% disagreed.
Who did CNN poll?
The CNN poll surveyed 431 people with the following political breakdown:
- 44% identified as Republican.
- 35% identified as Independent.
- 21% identified as Democrat.
Unlike the CBS/YouGov poll, the CNN poll provided some breakdown by party affiliation. Democrats were not included due to its small sample size. The available data revealed that:
- 95% of Republicans had a positive view of Trump’s speech.
- 65% of Independents viewed it positively.
- 93% of Republicans believed the country was headed in the right direction under Trump, compared to 63% of Independents.
- 88% of Republicans believed Trump had the right priorities, while 49% of Independents agreed.
Analysis of polling data
The results from both polls indicate that a significant majority — 76% and 69%, respectively — had a positive reaction to Trump’s speech. These are strong approval ratings. However, the sample size of Republicans in both surveys was significantly higher than that of Democrats, with more than double the number of Republicans polled in comparison.
The results still suggest a unified Republican base behind Trump and a sizable portion of Independents viewing his speech favorably.
Both CBS and CNN acknowledged the lower Democratic representation, attributing it to the tendency for a president’s supporters to be more likely to watch and respond to speeches.
CNN explained this phenomenon:
“People who tend to be fans or partisans with the president, no matter which party the president is in, tend to tune in more on speeches like this.”
David Chalian, CNN Washington Bureau Chief
Understanding polling bias
Polling results can be difficult to report in an unbiased manner due to several influencing factors, including:
- Who is being asked and their personal or political beliefs.
- What questions are being asked and how they are phrased.
- The sample size and how representative it is of the general population.
In a recent episode of Bias Breakdown, a podcast analyzing media bias, the discussion focused on how different news outlets selectively highlight poll results to fit their political narratives. Selective data presentation is a recognized form of media bias that watchdog groups monitor closely.