According to an “instant poll” conducted by CBS News following the event, a 76 percent majority of Americans who tuned in for the speech approved of the president’s message.
This included 97 percent of Republican viewers, 82 percent of Independent viewers and 30 percent of Democrat viewers. Note that the viewership tilted slightly to the right, with 43 percent of viewers being Republicans and 30 and 24 percent being Independents and Democrats, respectively.
While impressive, these post-SOTU address numbers only tell a part of the story. Far more notable is the markedly positive reaction the president’s words triggered as he spoke.
Watch below as a contingent of Democrat women dressed in white — many of them members of the antisemitic Women’s March — jumped to their feet in applause and even chanted “USA” as the president celebrated the record levels of female employment seen under his administration:
As conservative commentator Katie Pavlich noted on Twitter, “And there is your moment of unity. Trump got members of the Women’s March to loudly applaud his speech. This is actually incredible. And now they’re chanting USA! USA! #SOTU”
And there is your moment of unity. Trump got members of the Women's March to loudly applaud his speech. This is actually incredible. And now they're chanting USA! USA! #SOTU
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Incredible indeed.
She wasn’t the only one to take note of the surprising amount of applause Trump provoked. Nor was this the only moment that spurred loud clapping from both sides:
There were clearly differences of opinion on some issues, but I have not seen a SOTU in recent years when the opposition applauded to the degree it did tonight.
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Trump has succeeded in getting more Democratic applause than I expected with some of his bipartisan talk, especially about women
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The president and his speechwriters have accomplished something remarkable here tonight — striking several themes that have drawn applause from both sides of the chamber. That is not unusual for a state of the union, but it is unusual for this President. #SOTU
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Nice to see Republicans and Democrats jointly rise and cheer Trump's call to protect people with pre-existing conditions at a time when the parties probably couldn't be farther apart on what to do with the health system.
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That Alice Johnson moment drew legitimate applause and emotional reaction from both sides of the aisle, as Johnson stood wiping away tears.
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Big, bipartisan applause tonight for:
-Bringing down drug costs
-Recognizing new Venezuelan leader
-More women in workforce/Congress
-Paid family leave
-Governing as 1 nation
-Made in USA manufacturing
-First Step Act
-More $$$ for cancer research#SOTU
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Strong speech by @realDonaldTrump thus far at #SOTU. They said he would call for unity and, while there are issues that definitely divide, he is touching on many shared themes. Amazing that he got GOP and DEMs to change #USA together at same time.
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“We have a moral duty to create an immigration system that protects the lives and jobs of our citizens. This includes our obligation to the millions of immigrants living here today who follow the rules and respected our laws. Legal immigrants enrich our nation and...
