Going public is one of the main governing strategy of modern presidents. It is characterized as an attempt to influence the decisions, actions, and opinions of others through rhetoric and public engagement.
This is not new, as the image of the president has always been associated as the leader of the nation, however it has increased in modern presidency, as both advances in communications technologies and changes in federal policymaking institutions spurred presidents to go public.
There are main advantages and disadvantages to that strategy. The biggest drawback is that public opinion is volatile and if the president's policy is not in line with public opinion or his popularity is low, that may cause more harm than good, driving the public against the president, furthering unpopularity.
