Trump maintains poll bounce after State of the Union

President Trump’s boost in polls following his State of the Union address has proved to be surprisingly durable, even as he loses battles in Congress and faces round-the-clock scorn from potential 2020 rivals.

Mr. Trump emerged from the speech in early February with a cleaner message and approval ratings that averaged in the mid-40s. He then avoided another government shutdown while battling Congress over his border wall plans — and has managed to maintain his numbers.

His approval averaged at 44 percent Thursday, about 2 percentage points better than right before his Feb. 5 address on Capitol Hill, said Ron Faucheux, a nonpartisan political analyst and publisher of Lunchtime Politics.

It may not seem like much of a bounce, but every bit counts for the unconventional president, who is touting a robust economy and is needling House Democrats who have gained subpoena power but are struggling with intraparty divisions.

“If he had received 1 point less of the popular vote in 2016 nationwide, he would have lost,” Mr. Faucheux said. “For him, re-election is about inches not miles.”