Washington — President Trump will ship the 2026 State of the Union tackle earlier than a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, laying out his agenda for the 12 months forward and touting his accomplishments since returning to workplace.
The tackle comes days after the Supreme Court docket dominated he doesn’t have the authority to impose sweeping tariffs beneath an emergency powers legislation, dealing a big blow to his commerce agenda. The president has vowed to go across the court docket’s choice and use different authorities to put tariffs on imports.
The speech additionally comes amid rising tensions within the Center East between the U.S. and Iran. Talks over Iran’s nuclear program and different issues are anticipated to proceed this week. The president has not dominated out utilizing army pressure in opposition to the nation if negotiations fail.
Here is what to find out about Mr. Trump’s 2026 State of the Union speech:
What time will the 2026 State of the Union begin and finish?
The State of the Union is scheduled to start at 9 p.m. ET, nevertheless it might begin later relying on when the president arrives on the Capitol.
The size of Mr. Trump’s addresses to Congress has different over time. Mr. Trump has delivered three State of the Union addresses and two speeches to a joint session of Congress, which come shortly after a president is inaugurated however usually are not formal State of the Union addresses.
Here’s a breakdown of how lengthy every of his earlier speeches have lasted, in accordance with The American Presidency Challenge:
- 2017: 1 hour
- 2018: 1 hour and 21 minutes
- 2019: 1 hour and 22 minutes
- 2020: 1 hour and 18 minutes
- 2025: 1 hour and 40 minutes
His 2025 tackle was the longest tackle to a joint session of Congress since no less than 1964.
On the White Home on Monday, Mr. Trump previewed the speech by saying, “It is going to be a protracted speech as a result of we have now a lot to speak about.”
Who’s delivering the Democrats’ response to the 2026 State of the Union?
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will likely be delivering the Democratic response to the president’s tackle, which can start shortly after Mr. Trump’s speech ends. Spanberger gained election final November to turn into Virginia’s first feminine governor. Her victory was one of many races that gave Democrats a lift of optimism heading into this 12 months’s midterm elections.
Spanberger is a former member of the Home who beforehand served within the CIA. In a press release asserting she can be delivering the Democratic response, Spanberger mentioned that People are “at a defining second in our nation’s historical past” because the nation contends with “rising prices, chaos of their communities, and an actual worry of what every day would possibly convey.”
Learn how to watch the 2026 State of the Union tackle on TV and stream it on-line
CBS Information could have full protection of the State of the Union tackle on TV and on-line. Primetime protection on the CBS tv community will start at 9 p.m. ET.
You may watch the speech and protection wherever the CBS Information 24/7 streaming community is distributed, together with the CBS Information app, CBSNews.com, YouTube, social platforms, Paramount+ and Pluto.
What’s the State of the Union tackle, precisely?
The State of the Union is the president’s yearly tackle to Congress, by which he lays out his agenda for the approaching 12 months and a laundry record of insurance policies he needs lawmakers to enact.
The origins of the tackle are discovered within the Structure. Article II, Part 3 describes a few of the president’s duties, together with:
He shall once in a while give to the Congress Data of the State of the Union, and suggest to their Consideration such Measures as he shall choose vital and expedient[.]
George Washington delivered the primary State of the Union tackle in 1790, in accordance with the Senate Historic Workplace. Thomas Jefferson discontinued the observe of delivering an oral tackle in 1801, as a substitute submitting a written report to satisfy the constitutional requirement. That conference stood till Woodrow Wilson revived the in-person tackle in 1913.
The primary State of the Union response was broadcast in 1966, when GOP congressional leaders delivered a 30-minute rebuttal that was proven on tv per week after President Lyndon Johnson’s tackle, in accordance with the Senate’s historian.
The place does the State of the Union tackle happen?
The State of the Union takes place within the Home chamber within the U.S. Capitol in Washington. The chamber is giant sufficient to carry members of the Home and Senate, along with Cupboard officers and members of the Supreme Court docket.
The galleries overlooking the chamber are reserved for members’ company, different officers and the press. One of many gallery sections is reserved for the primary woman. These invited to sit down within the first woman’s field are continuously cited within the president’s tackle to focus on their accomplishments or illustrate a coverage place he is advocating.
Who sits the place for the State of the Union tackle?
On the dais, the speaker of the Home and the vice chairman sit behind the lectern the place the president delivers his speech. Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President JD Vance will likely be behind Mr. Trump this 12 months.
On the Home flooring, Cupboard officers, Supreme Court docket justices and members of the Joint Chiefs of Workers seats reserved up entrance. Senators sit behind them, adopted by members of the Home.
Searching from the dais, Republicans sit on the left-hand aspect, whereas Democrats sit to the president’s proper. Seating for lawmakers, beside management, is on a first-come, first-served foundation. Many declare their seats on the aisle hours earlier than the tackle, hoping to catch the president for a handshake as he enters or exits the chamber.
Not all members of the president’s Cupboard attend. At the least one official within the presidential line of succession stays away because the “designated survivor” in case one thing catastrophic occurs.
