The Atlantic

The State of the Union Was Political Malpractice

Trump could have used the address to improve his low approval ratings—but he only dug deeper.
Source: Reuters

The State of the Union address was a golden opportunity for President Donald Trump to reset his presidency, create a blueprint for the next two years of his administration, and launch his uphill battle for reelection. He failed on all fronts.

The president’s approval ratings hover around 40 percent, a shockingly low number, given the robust health of the economy. The only other recent presidents whose approval ratings reached such lows were President Ronald Reagan, in the midst of

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