hot-button issue vs gut issue

hot-button issue and gut issue both are nouns.

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

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

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

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