State of the Union addresses are always breathlessly anticipated and then dissected endlessly. What was said? What was not said? How much time was devoted to each topic—and in which order? How many times was the speech interrupted by applause (or something else)? And—the big one—will the speech put wind in the sails of the incumbent president or drag that president down into the abyss? It can sound like everything is at stake.
Certainly, this particular speech to Congress, delivered in prime time on Tuesday night, seems primed for dramatic impact. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has been declining steadily, both overall and on issues ranging from inflation to immigration. It took Politico two long paragraphs over the weekend to summarize all the headwinds swirling around Trump about 13 months into his second term:
