Reaction to President Joe Biden's first State of the Union address has been mostly positive, according to multiple post-speech polls.
Most Americans who watched the president's address approved of what they heard, and many said it made them feel optimistic and proud, according to CBS News.
A poll by the network found that 78% of viewers reacted positively, while 67% felt "optimistic" after the speech.
A CNN poll had similar results -- 71% of viewers reacted positively, while 55% felt it showed Biden has the right priorities as president.
In the much anticipated speech, Biden discussed how the United States plans to fight inflation, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, new jobs programs, the future of manufacturing, and more. He also focused heavily on the invasion of Ukraine by Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
According to the CBS poll, 8 in 10 of speech watchers approved of Biden's address. Viewers reported having more confidence in his policies on inflation, the coronavirus and dealing with Russia after watching the president's speech.
The CNN poll showed that 62% of speech watchers think that Biden's proposed economic policies would move the country in the right direction, up from half who said that pre-speech. The CBS poll showed similar results, with 64% saying his policies would lower inflation, compared to 48% pre-speech.
On the pandemic, 73% told CNN they think Biden's proposals would help control the coronavirus, up from 64% prior to the address. The CBS poll showed similar numbers, from 70% before the speech to 79% after.
When it comes to Russia, the CNN poll showed that 69% thought Biden did enough to acknowledge the invasion of Ukraine, with three in 10 speech watchers saying the address made them more confident in his handling of the situation. The CBS poll showed that 71% of speech watchers think the president is effectively dealing with Russia, compared to 60% before his speech.
Not everyone was left feeling all warm and fuzzy after the speech, though.
On the other hand, 22% of speech watchers disapproved of the president's address, which made them feel pessimistic (20%), angry (13%) and scared (9%), according to CBS. And 45% of speech watchers said the president hasn't paid enough attention to the country's more important problems, the CNN poll showed.
Related
Related
