President Donald Trump is expected to use his State of the Union address on Tuesday to rally support from voters ahead of the November midterms, as he faces a difficult political climate. With polls showing declining approval ratings and recent legal setbacks, Trump aims to frame the speech as a test run for the Republican message in the upcoming elections.

The president and his party are under pressure, with many Americans expressing skepticism over his first year in office. A recent Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey found that only 39% of U.S. adults approve of his economic leadership, and just 38% support his stance on immigration. These numbers highlight public concerns over rising costs of living and Trump’s unpredictable use of tariffs, which have contributed to economic uncertainty.

Trump has yet to reveal major new economic policies since his party passed a significant tax cut bill last year. Instead, he has repeated previous proposals, such as reducing mortgage rates and creating a government website for prescription drugs. The Supreme Court’s recent ruling that limited his ability to impose tariffs has only added to the economic turbulence.

Alex Conant, a Republican strategist, emphasized the importance of the speech in reinforcing Trump’s economic message, especially following the Supreme Court’s decision and a Commerce Department report showing a slowdown in U.S. economic growth. ‘The president needs to bolster his economic message,’ Conant said.

Trump has also aimed to blame his predecessor, President Joe Biden, for the current economic conditions, claiming that the economy inherited from 2021 and 2022 has not improved. ‘We inherited a mess,’ Trump said in a recent White House address.

Despite his ‘America First’ rhetoric, Trump’s foreign policy has not resonated with many of his supporters. His administration has conducted military strikes in Yemen, Nigeria, and Iran, and even considered using force in Venezuela. However, Trump has not clearly explained how these actions benefit American voters.

Vice President JD Vance suggested the speech would focus on economic issues like reshoring manufacturing and lowering energy costs. Conant predicted that the speech would primarily address the economy, despite Trump’s belief that his foreign policy has been a major success.

Trump has transformed the State of the Union into a political tool, often using it to attack the Democratic Party and position himself as a savior. Communications professor Kathleen Hall Jamieson noted that the speech is increasingly a campaign-style address, with Democrats cast as villains and Republicans as heroes.

The reaction from the audience in the House chamber could also shape the speech’s impact. In 2020, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s dramatic response to Trump’s address overshadowed much of his message. Some Democrats may choose not to attend in protest, or even disrupt the speech, as seen in past years.

With Trump known for straying from prepared remarks, the speech’s effectiveness may depend on how well he controls the message. Matt Latimer, a former Republican speechwriter, noted that the State of the Union has lost much of its impact in recent years, except during times of national crisis.