The text of President Trump’s first address to Congress has not been released, but the challenges the American people want him to tackle are clear. The biggest problem, according to the public, is a general dissatisfaction with government.
Though the last election might suggest otherwise, that’s a significant evolution in public opinion. At the beginning of President Obama’s second term, according to Gallup polling, the big problems were the economy and the budget.
The business cycle, Trump’s promises of deregulation and slashed taxes, or his predecessor’s handiwork have ameliorated those concerns for now. As a result, Trump can freely hammer the federal government tonight like he’s wont to do.
A closer look at the polling could give more hints about the president’s address. And thanks to Gregor Aisch, graphics editor at the New York Times, readers can easily probe the psyche of the American public going back to 1935, when Gallup first started asking people about the country’s “most important problem.”
Philip Wegmann is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
