John Zogby: Political Author and Pollster on Donald Trump's State of the Union speech

A record-breaking State of the Union speech from Donald Trump. 

His 107 minute address is the longest since records began in 1964. 

The US president also spoke directly to invited guests, including the US Olympic champion men's hockey team, victims of crime by illegal immigrants, and a 100-year-old World War Two veteran.  

Political author and pollster John Zogby told Mike Hosking aside from the veterans, there weren’t really any other heroes sitting in the seats, which is a reminder of how degraded US politics have become.  

He says that Trump made a good attempt to paint a rosy picture in his speech, but early polls indicate it hasn't persuaded anyone.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Maybe I'm weird, but I loved it. I mean I
loved it, almost two hours of it. Yesterday State of
the Union. Some argue a chance for the president to reset.
There were heroes and medals, plenty of hot here in
hyperbole than only Trump is capable of. Of course, as well.
John Zogby is a polster and political author, and it
is with us, John Morning, Good morning. There's a lot
to like. Take Trump out, will not Trump? Take the
politics out of it for a minute. When you see

(00:22):
those people, the heroes, the medals, and there's a lot
about America to like, isn't there?

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Oh, there certainly is. The American people are fine, and
they go to work, they live their lives. They pay
a little bit more or a lot more, but they
deal with them. The politics are a mess right now.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
I can't argue with that. The economic stuff he was
trying to sell yesterday. Is that message resonating with anybody
at the gas station, at the grocery store or not?

Speaker 2 (00:52):
Do you know? It isn't. And clearly prices are down
at the gasoline station, prices of some grocery items, the
retail item are down. But for the most part, the
notion of inflation, lack of affordability, and and so on
is baked into the American psyche right now. They've lived
with it for a long time. If prices are indeed

(01:15):
going down in some uh in in some kinds of goods,
it's already that they are considerably higher than they were
two or three years ago. But the point is that, uh,
you know, the president uh you know, painted a rosy picture.
It was a good attempt at it, but the very

(01:39):
early stamp shot pulling thus far indicate that he really
hasn't persuaded him.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
I was going to say this, this didn't for his
midterm objective, but this didn't move them and didn't move
the needle.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Now it didn't. I think he started out strong, he
was less combative. I think the patriotism at the end,
you know, uh kind of worked, especially for his base,
but he was very combative in the middle. He was
taunting he democrats, they were taunting back. There were aside

(02:12):
from the military heroes, there weren't any other heroes sitting
in those seats last night. But just a reminder of
what how degraded our politics.

Speaker 1 (02:25):
It's amazed theres no questioning about that. Do you have
a view on Iran. I mean, there's a lot of
talk now he's built up a hell of a military prisons,
and you don't do that unless you're gonna do something.
And he got the loss from the Supreme Court. So
do you get a loss from the Supreme Court? You
got the polls the way they are. Does he need
Iran and some bombs to drop?

Speaker 2 (02:42):
He needs something, But I don't believe it's going to
be Iran. Americans have no love affair with Iran whatsoever.
And in the last few weeks, the outright murder, to
the degree that we were able to catch it in
the news, makes Iran even less favorable in the American mind.

(03:02):
But depending on how the question is asked and the
level of involvement, we're talking about anywhere from forty nine
percent to seventy percent do not want any invasion of
Iran at all, whatsoever, under any circumstances.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
Nice to talk to you, John, appreciate John Zogby, who's
a poster and political author.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
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