What To Expect From The State Of The Union Address Tuesday

Key Takeaways

• President Donald Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union address Tuesday evening.
• Ahead of the speech, polls showed Americans are discontent about the job market and inflation.
• Trump could use the speech to tout the economy’s resilience, promote his agenda for the year ahead, and clarify his plans to restore tariffs after the Supreme Court struck down most of his import taxes.

President Donald Trump’s big speech Tuesday night will be a chance for him to tout his administration’s policies to a public that’s grown increasingly unhappy with the state of the economy.

Trump is set to address a joint session of Congress Tuesday evening in the traditional State of the Union address at 9 p.m. Eastern Time. Presidents typically use the speech to set their policy agenda for the year ahead and tout their accomplishments.

While the economy has many bright spots that Trump can highlight, public opinion polls show people have soured on the high cost of living and the sparse job market.

What This Means For The Economy

The State of the Union could yield significant news about Trump’s economic agenda. He could take the opportunity to introduce new policies, set the legislative agenda for Congress, and provide details about tariff plans.

Ahead of the address, several major polls showed Trump’s approval ratings have taken a slide since his last annual State of the Union address.

For example, a Washington Post-Ipsos survey taken last week showed 57% of U.S. adults disapproved of Trump’s handling of the economy, up from 53% in February 2025. A RealClearPolitics average of recent polls showed 56% disapproved of Trump’s economic record, compared with 41% who approved.

Mirroring those results, recent consumer surveys showed people have become more pessimistic about finding jobs and unhappier about inflation since Trump took office for the second time.

Those consumer worries are reflected in hard economic statistics. Inflation has run above the Federal Reserve’s 2% annual target for more than four years and has remained stubbornly high, and 2025 was the slowest year for job creation outside a recession in decades.

Related Education

Inflation: What It Is and How to Control Inflation Rates

Understanding Consumer Confidence and Its Impact on the Economy

Still, the U.S. economy has avoided a recession, a serious acceleration of inflation, and mass layoffs despite several shocks, including Trump’s tariff campaign and the increasing adoption of AI technology. And economists expect Trump’s signature tax and spending legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill, to boost consumer spending and overall economic growth when its tax cuts take effect this year.

In addition to addressing public concerns about jobs and affordability, the president could use the address to renew his pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, which could spur the job market at the risk of stoking inflation. He may also give more details on his plans to impose new tariffs after the Supreme Court struck down many of his controversial import taxes this week.