President Donald Trump will address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 9 p.m. ET, marking his first formal State of the Union address of his second term.
What Is the State of the Union?
The State of the Union is a constitutional duty. The U.S. Constitution requires the president to periodically inform Congress of the nation’s condition and to recommend legislative priorities. Tuesday’s address is not a formality. It comes as Trump marks one year back in office โ a year that has reshaped domestic policy, strained international alliances, and tested the limits of executive power.
Trump has moved fast. He pushed through sweeping tax cuts, redirected over $170 billion to Homeland Security for immigration enforcement, and signed a wave of executive actions โ many of which now face legal challenges. The Republican-controlled Congress has largely followed his lead.
Two Americans โ Renee Good and Alex Pretti โ died at the hands of federal agents during protests against the administration’s immigration raids. Democrats are now blocking funding for the Department of Homeland Security as a result. The agency has been partially shut down for more than a week.
When Is the State of the Union?
Trump’s address begins at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, February 24, at the U.S. Capitol. The speech is expected to last between 60 and 90 minutes. During his first term, Trump’s State of the Union addresses averaged one hour and 20 minutes, according to The American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, which has tracked address lengths since President Lyndon B. Johnson’s in 1964.
Trump previewed the length himself. “It’s going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about,” he said on Monday.
What Will Trump Say?
The White House has signaled Trump will focus on jobs, manufacturing, and energy costs. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on Saturday that the speech would emphasize “the importance of bringing jobs back into our country, of reshoring manufacturing, of all these great factories that are being built.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed to broader themes. “It is going to be a very good and powerful speech,” she said, declining to reveal specifics but hinting at foreign policy announcements.
Iran looms large. ABC News has reported that Trump is weighing military strike options against Iran over its nuclear program, including a limited strike intended to strengthen the U.S. negotiating position. The White House has not confirmed those plans. The administration posted a video on Sunday framing the address around global respect for America: “The State of the Union is STRONG because America is RESPECTED again on the world stage.”
Trump may also address tariffs. The Supreme Court recently struck down most of his sweeping global tariffs as illegal โ a significant blow to a central pillar of his economic agenda. The justices who attend will be seated in the front rows when Trump takes the podium.
Who Responds for Democrats?
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response from Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area in Virginia. Spanberger, whose 2025 election win flipped the Virginia governorship from Republican to Democratic control, is the first woman to hold that office in the state’s history.
“I look forward to joining Virginians in this historic place to lay out the next chapter of our story โ a clear vision for a stronger, safer, and more affordable future for every American,” Spanberger said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Spanberger “will lay out a clear path forward: lower everyday costs, protect healthcare, and defend the freedoms that define who we are as a nation.” California Senator Alex Padilla will deliver the Spanish-language response.
Dozens of House Democrats plan to skip the address and attend a counterprogram hosted by MoveOn.org on the National Mall. Most congressional Democrats, however, are expected to appear in the chamber. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged attendance, saying: “You don’t let anyone ever run you off of your block.”
How to Watch
The State of the Union will air live on ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, NPR, and PBS starting at 9 p.m. ET. The White House will also livestream the address on its website and social media platforms. ABC News Live will begin special coverage at 7 p.m. ET.
An estimated 36.6 million people watched Trump’s March 2025 address to Congress โ a 13 percent increase over former President Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union, according to Nielsen data.
Where Is the Address?
Trump will speak in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. The event brings all three branches of government into the same room โ members of Congress, Supreme Court justices, and the president. Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance will sit directly behind Trump as he speaks.
House Speaker Mike Johnson invited Trump to deliver the address in January. “Since his return to office, @POTUS has not stopped working for the American people and delivering on his promises,” Johnson wrote on X.
The White House and members of Congress have also invited individual guests. Democratic Representatives Jamie Raskin and Suhas Subramanyam announced their guests would be Sky and Amanda Roberts โ the brother and sister-in-law of the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a survivor of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Share
Support Us To Sustain Independent Environmental Journalism In India.
Keep Reading
Highway Halt Puts Kashmirโs Fruit Economy at Risk
Railway line expansion plan put Kashmirโs apple orchards at risk
Warmer winters in Kashmir raise concerns over apple and crop yields
