President Donald Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union address for 2026, marking the first such speech of his second term in office. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, 2026, with the president's remarks beginning at 9 p.m. Eastern Time.
Event Details and Timing
The address will take place before a joint session of Congress, a traditional setting for this annual presidential update. Coverage by major news networks is expected to start earlier in the evening, with many channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, and Fox News, initiating their broadcasts around 6 p.m. ET. This allows for pre-speech analysis and commentary leading up to the main event.
Democratic Response and Rebuttal
In a significant political counterpoint, Governor Abigail Spanberger has been selected to deliver the official Democratic rebuttal following President Trump's speech. This response is a standard practice, offering the opposition party a platform to critique the president's policies and present alternative visions.
How to Watch the State of the Union
Viewers have multiple options to tune into the address. Traditional television broadcasts will be available on the aforementioned networks, providing comprehensive coverage. For those preferring online access, the speech can be streamed live through various platforms.
Key online sources include C-Span, which typically offers unfiltered coverage of governmental proceedings, as well as the websites and YouTube channels of major news outlets. These digital streams ensure that audiences worldwide can watch the event in real-time, regardless of their location or access to cable television.
This State of the Union address is anticipated to cover a range of topics relevant to Trump's second-term agenda, with responses from both sides of the political aisle shaping the national conversation in the days following the speech.
