President Donald Trump delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress Tuesday night. The change in tone was noticeable, but listeners say the president's actions will speak louder than his words.
On this edition of River to River, host Ben Kieffer talks with Donna Hoffman, associate professor and chair of political science at University of Northern Iowa, and Dennis Goldford, professor and chair of political science at Drake University about Trump's speech.
Listeners expressed appreciation for the change in tone. "My reaction is, wow, was he nice," says Anne in Urbandale. "I’m not going to hold my breath waiting to see if he can sustain this more 'normal' behavior."
Karen in West Des Moines writes "If in 18-24 months he’s proven himself trustworthy then, and only then, you can cautiously exhale."
Hoffman says the President has demonstrated that he can give a speech in a presidential fashion in the House chamber. But Goldford cautions, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks."
The analysts also discuss President Trump taking a side in the GOP's ongoing argument over what to do with the Affordable Care Act, and how solid the president's support may be in Iowa in future elections.
