WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump will deliver the State of the Union address on Feb. 24, marking the first time he’ll give the annual speech during his second term and the second time he’ll address all of Congress since being reelected.
The speech will come on a Tuesday evening and will be held inside the House chamber. The speech also coincides with the 250th year of the United States, a yearlong celebration to mark the semiquincentennial anniversary.
“The United States stands stronger, freer, and more prosperous under your leadership and bold action,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said in a letter inviting Trump to address Congress. “Together in 2025, your administration and the 119th Congress delivered one of the most consequential agendas in history, and Americans across this great country will experience the tangible results of commonsense governance.”
The State of the Union address serves as the president’s official report to Congress about the previous year under his administration, meaning this will be the first for Trump since taking office last January. Trump did, however, hold a joint address to Congress in March 2025 to tout his agenda and policy goals, but it was not considered an official State of the Union.
That March 2025 speech lasted an hour and 39 minutes, marking the longest presidential address to a joint session of Congress on record. Trump has some of the longest State of the Union speeches in history, with an average length of 1 hour and 6 minutes in his first term.
The address is usually an opportunity for the majority party to tout its wins so far while the minority party typically stages protests, such as holding signs or wearing symbolic colors.