United States (US) President Donald Trump is set to deliver his first formal State of the Union address in his second term on Wednesday, February 24, 2026.
This comes nearly a year after the 47th POTUS delivered the longest speech ever recorded before Congress, lasting 1 hour, 39 minutes and 32 seconds.
Trump’s 2025 speech set the record for the longest speech given before a joint session of Congress or during a State of the Union.
Trump has hinted that he plans to give another long speech, saying, “It’s going to be a long speech because we have a lot to talk about.”
According to the American Presidency Project at the University of California-Santa Barbara, the previous record for longest speech was held by former President Bill Clinton, who addressed the State of the Union in 2000 for 1 hour, 28 minutes and 49 seconds.
Lengthy speeches or meetings are nothing new for President Trump. It holds the record for the longest Cabinet meeting in US history, which was held on August 26, 2025 and lasted more than 3.5 hours.
Trump’s speeches before Congress during his first term lasted an average of 1 hour and 20 minutes.
In his 2026 State of the Union address, the US president plans to discuss what he described as “the largest economy the United States has ever had,” as well as his administration’s role in resolving global conflicts, the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Who gave the shortest State of the Union speech?
The shortest State of the Union address on record was delivered by Richard Nixon on January 20, 1972. Its total duration was 28 minutes and 55 seconds.
