Everything to know about the 2026 State of the Union address
This is performative politics again.
President Donald Trump is set to deliver the 2026 State of the Union address at 9 p.m. Tuesday, marking a high-profile opportunity to outline his legislative agenda before a joint session of Congress and a national audience.
Trump will deliver the State of the Union in the House chamber at the Capitol, and it will be broadcast on all major television networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, NPR, and PBS.
It will also be streamed on the White House website and YouTube channel, as well as across digital platforms run by networks.
Trump addressed a joint session of Congress last March, but it was not an official State of the Union address.
What is the State of the Union address?
The address, required by the Constitution, calls on the president to provide Congress with information on the state of the country and recommend measures he considers necessary.
Over time, the speech has evolved into a prime-time event blending policy proposals, political messaging, and carefully choreographed moments in the House chamber.
As in past years, the opposing party will deliver a televised response shortly after the president concludes his remarks.
The modern State of the Union often runs more than an hour, though the length varies by president and political moment.
In 1790, President George Washington delivered the shortest address when he delivered a brief speech of roughly 1,100 words. In the television era, most speeches have fallen between 60 and 80 minutes.
Trump’s first term featured State of the Union addresses in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Those speeches emphasized immigration enforcement, tax cuts, deregulation, and a strong economy. They were marked by sharp partisan reactions, including moments of visible tension in the chamber.
His 2020 address occurred just one day before the Senate voted to acquit him in his first impeachment trial, adding to the political drama surrounding the event.
State of the Union in the Biden era
The longest spoken State of the Union on record was delivered in 2023 by then-President Joe Biden, clocking in at more than 9,200 words.
Biden delivered three State of the Union speeches during his presidency, in addition to an address to a joint session of Congress in 2021. His addresses focused heavily on economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, infrastructure investment, prescription drug costs, support for Ukraine, and restoring alliances abroad.
Biden’s speeches were generally characterized by extended exchanges with …
This is performative politics again.
President Donald Trump is set to deliver the 2026 State of the Union address at 9 p.m. Tuesday, marking a high-profile opportunity to outline his legislative agenda before a joint session of Congress and a national audience.
Trump will deliver the State of the Union in the House chamber at the Capitol, and it will be broadcast on all major television networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, NPR, and PBS.
It will also be streamed on the White House website and YouTube channel, as well as across digital platforms run by networks.
Trump addressed a joint session of Congress last March, but it was not an official State of the Union address.
What is the State of the Union address?
The address, required by the Constitution, calls on the president to provide Congress with information on the state of the country and recommend measures he considers necessary.
Over time, the speech has evolved into a prime-time event blending policy proposals, political messaging, and carefully choreographed moments in the House chamber.
As in past years, the opposing party will deliver a televised response shortly after the president concludes his remarks.
The modern State of the Union often runs more than an hour, though the length varies by president and political moment.
In 1790, President George Washington delivered the shortest address when he delivered a brief speech of roughly 1,100 words. In the television era, most speeches have fallen between 60 and 80 minutes.
Trump’s first term featured State of the Union addresses in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Those speeches emphasized immigration enforcement, tax cuts, deregulation, and a strong economy. They were marked by sharp partisan reactions, including moments of visible tension in the chamber.
His 2020 address occurred just one day before the Senate voted to acquit him in his first impeachment trial, adding to the political drama surrounding the event.
State of the Union in the Biden era
The longest spoken State of the Union on record was delivered in 2023 by then-President Joe Biden, clocking in at more than 9,200 words.
Biden delivered three State of the Union speeches during his presidency, in addition to an address to a joint session of Congress in 2021. His addresses focused heavily on economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, infrastructure investment, prescription drug costs, support for Ukraine, and restoring alliances abroad.
Biden’s speeches were generally characterized by extended exchanges with …
Everything to know about the 2026 State of the Union address
This is performative politics again.
President Donald Trump is set to deliver the 2026 State of the Union address at 9 p.m. Tuesday, marking a high-profile opportunity to outline his legislative agenda before a joint session of Congress and a national audience.
Trump will deliver the State of the Union in the House chamber at the Capitol, and it will be broadcast on all major television networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, NPR, and PBS.
It will also be streamed on the White House website and YouTube channel, as well as across digital platforms run by networks.
Trump addressed a joint session of Congress last March, but it was not an official State of the Union address.
What is the State of the Union address?
The address, required by the Constitution, calls on the president to provide Congress with information on the state of the country and recommend measures he considers necessary.
Over time, the speech has evolved into a prime-time event blending policy proposals, political messaging, and carefully choreographed moments in the House chamber.
As in past years, the opposing party will deliver a televised response shortly after the president concludes his remarks.
The modern State of the Union often runs more than an hour, though the length varies by president and political moment.
In 1790, President George Washington delivered the shortest address when he delivered a brief speech of roughly 1,100 words. In the television era, most speeches have fallen between 60 and 80 minutes.
Trump’s first term featured State of the Union addresses in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Those speeches emphasized immigration enforcement, tax cuts, deregulation, and a strong economy. They were marked by sharp partisan reactions, including moments of visible tension in the chamber.
His 2020 address occurred just one day before the Senate voted to acquit him in his first impeachment trial, adding to the political drama surrounding the event.
State of the Union in the Biden era
The longest spoken State of the Union on record was delivered in 2023 by then-President Joe Biden, clocking in at more than 9,200 words.
Biden delivered three State of the Union speeches during his presidency, in addition to an address to a joint session of Congress in 2021. His addresses focused heavily on economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, infrastructure investment, prescription drug costs, support for Ukraine, and restoring alliances abroad.
Biden’s speeches were generally characterized by extended exchanges with …
