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 lawmakers in the chamber, sometimes leading to ad-libbed responses and prolonged applause lines.
Traditions
Beyond policy, the State of the Union carries long-standing traditions.
One Cabinet member is designated to remain at a secure location as the “designated survivor,” ensuring the continuity of government in the event of a catastrophe.
Delivering the address in person was not always customary. Washington delivered his address in person, and President John Adams followed suit. However, in 1801, President Thomas Jefferson sent his address by letter, a tradition that continued until 1913 when President Woodrow Wilson spoke in person.
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The president also invites guests whose personal stories are highlighted to underscore key themes. The tradition was born during Ronald Reagan’s presidency, when he invited Lenny Skutnik, who famously saved plane crash survivors from an icy Potomac River, to sit in the gallery.
During his last address in 2020, Trump invited 21 guests, or Skutniks, with varying backgrounds whose stories aligned with key messages and policy stances. Families of veterans killed in combat, Venezuelan leaders, and kin of people killed by illegal immigrants were among the guests.