State of the Union Address 2026: Everything to Know About Trump's Speech Tonight

TONIGHT — Tuesday, February 24, 2026 — 9:00 PM ET

President Donald Trump delivers his first official State of the Union address of his second term before a joint session of the 119th Congress tonight at 9:00 PM ET from the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol. It is one of the most politically charged State of the Union speeches in recent memory — arriving amid a Supreme Court tariff setback, sliding poll numbers, a partial government shutdown, Democratic boycotts, and midterm elections looming on the horizon.

When and How to Watch the 2026 State of the Union

What Trump Is Expected to Say at the 2026 State of the Union

The White House has done little to preview the specifics, but the broad themes are well telegraphed. Trump is likely to outline his view of his administration's accomplishments on issues such as mass deportation, deregulation, and "law and order," as well as tout his efforts to end several global conflicts.

Key topics expected to dominate the 2026 State of the Union address include: immigration enforcement and border results, energy production and deregulation wins, the economy and cost-of-living, the DHS partial government shutdown, global conflicts including Iran tensions, and the 250th anniversary of American independence — a patriotic frame the administration has been building toward all year.

Trump has had trouble sticking to any prepared message. In a speech last December aimed at showing he understood concerns about the cost of living, Trump instead called affordability a "hoax" dreamed up by Democrats. Every one of his five joint addresses to Congress has run at least an hour.

The Political Backdrop: A Tough Moment for Trump

The 2026 State of the Union arrives at a politically complicated moment for the president. On Friday, the Supreme Court delivered a major setback to Trump's agenda when it struck down his sweeping tariffs. Americans have grown increasingly unsure about the president's policies, including his economic leadership. A partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, brought on by Democratic opposition to Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement, seems to have no end in sight.

A Washington Post poll released Monday found six in ten Americans disapprove of Trump. An NPR poll found most Americans say the state of the union is not strong. Nearly six out of ten Americans say the country is headed in the wrong direction. The speech is one of his biggest opportunities to reverse that trajectory ahead of November midterms.

The Tariff Drama: Supreme Court Justices in the Room

Adding a layer of extraordinary tension to tonight's chamber: by tradition, all nine Supreme Court justices attend the State of the Union and sit front and center as the president speaks. So the justices can expect to have their facial expressions and body language heavily scrutinized while the president speaks on Tuesday night — just days after the Court struck down his central economic policy. Trump has already said publicly he is "absolutely ashamed" of "certain" Supreme Court justices following that ruling.

Democratic Response and Boycotts

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger — Virginia's first woman governor and a vocal Trump critic — will deliver the official Democratic response. Senator Alex Padilla of California will deliver a response in Spanish. A third rebuttal, "State of the Swamp," will be held at the National Press Club.

At least 12 Democratic lawmakers are skipping Trump's address altogether, opting instead to attend a rival "People's State of the Union" rally on the National Mall hosted by progressive groups. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries instructed Democratic lawmakers to either attend with "silent defiance" or skip entirely. Rep. Summer Lee will deliver the progressive Working Families Party's response to the speech.

The 2026 State of the Union address begins at 9:00 PM ET tonight on all major networks and streaming platforms.