gut issue vs hot-button issue

gut issue and hot-button issue both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
gut issue	Yes	No	No	No
hot-button issue	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, gut issue and hot-button issue are synonyms defined as:

gut issue and hot-button issue: an issue that elicits strong emotional reactions

gut issue (noun)	hot-button issue (noun)
an issue that elicits strong emotional reactions	an issue that elicits strong emotional reactions