State of the Union 2026: Where Americans stand on key issues facing the nation

President Donald Trump will deliver the State of the Union address tonight at 9 p.m. EST, his second speech to a joint session of Congress since returning to office.

Ahead of the address, here’s a look at U.S. public opinion on key policy issues, drawn from recent Pew Research Center surveys. Follow the links for more information about partisan differences in Americans’ views, as well as related survey questions.

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 Economy: As has been the case since the pandemic, Americans generally have a negative view of the nation’s economy. Most (72%) rate conditions as only fair or poor, while 28% say conditions are excellent or good.

 Tariffs: The U.S. Supreme Court last week struck down much of the White House’s tariff policy, a ruling Trump countered with a new global tariff rate. In a late January survey – before the court decision – 60% of Americans disapproved of tariff increases, while 37% approved.

 Health care: The cost of health care is the public’s top economic concern this year. A 66% majority say the federal government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have coverage.

 Immigration enforcement: Amid high profile immigration enforcement efforts nationwide, most U.S. adults (72%) say it is unacceptable for federal immigration officers to use a person’s looks or the language they speak as a reason to check their immigration status. And 61% say it’s unacceptable for officers to wear face coverings that hide their identities while working.

 Border security: While Americans are divided on several of Trump’s immigration policies, a 62% majority favors a strong military presence at the U.S.-Mexico border. Since Trump’s return to office, Border Patrol encounters with migrants crossing from Mexico have fallen to their lowest level in more than 50 years.

 Energy policy: Americans generally favor expanding solar (77%) and wind (68%) power, but somewhat less so than in the first Trump administration. By contrast, nuclear power has seen an increase in support in recent years.

 Environmental regulation: Slightly more than half of Americans (54%) say it’s possible to cut back on environmental regulations and still protect air and water quality in the U.S., while 45% say it’s not possible.

 Role in Venezuela: 45% of Americans say the U.S. shouldn’t be involved much or at all in Venezuela’s governance over the next several months. Another 32% say it should be somewhat involved, while 21% say it should be extremely or very involved. The public is similarly divided on whether U.S. companies should be given access to Venezuelan oil.