What time is the State of the Union address 2026?: How to watch Trump’s speech on TV and online
Donald Trump addresses Congress tonight. Here’s how to watch the first State of the Union of his second term.
On February 24, President Donald Trump will deliver his first State of the Union address of his second term. He will speak before Congress 13 months after returning to the White House, using the moment to highlight his administration’s achievements just months ahead of the midterm elections.
Under the U.S. Constitution, the president is required to inform Congress about the State of the Union. In other words, the condition of the country. The address also gives the president an opportunity to outline legislative priorities for the year ahead.
State of the Union 2026: How to watch Trump’s February 24 address
President Trump will address a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol at 9:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. CT / 6:00 p.m. PT). The speech will be available across multiple platforms. The White House typically streams the address live on its official social media channels, including YouTube.
Major television networks including CBS, ABC, CNN, NBC, PBS, C-SPAN and Fox News will also broadcast the speech. While the White House feed generally carries only the address itself, news networks usually provide pre- and post-speech coverage and analysis.
Although Trump will be speaking directly to Congress, the address represents a major opportunity to speak to the nation, especially with midterm elections scheduled for November. Republicans are aiming to maintain control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The speech could also serve as a chance for Trump to regain ground with voters, as his approval ratings have dipped. A Washington Post/ABC News/Ipsos poll released over the weekend found Trump’s overall disapproval rating at 60%, the highest of his second term and matching his disapproval level when he left office in 2021.
According to the poll, about two-thirds of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation (65%). More than six in 10 disapprove of his approach to tariffs (64%) and U.S. relations with other countries (62%). Meanwhile, 58% disapprove of his handling of immigration and 57% disapprove of his management of the economy.
Despite those numbers, Trump may find some political advantage in the fact that Americans also express limited trust in Democrats. Still, with major offices on the ballot, the stakes remain high heading into the November 3 midterm elections.
At the federal level, voters will decide 35 of the 100 Senate seats and all 435 voting seats in the House of Representatives.
In addition, 36 states will hold gubernatorial elections: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, South Carolina, Colorado, Connecticut, South Dakota, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
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