What time is the State of the Union? How to watch Trump’s speech tonight

Tonight, President Donald Trump will address Congress in his 2026 State of the Union. The address is set to begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT. Most major news networks will be covering the speech live. The speech will also stream live for free on YouTube, and the White House will provide its own free livestream.

“The president's going to make the case that three more years with him in the White House, and with Republicans on Capitol Hill, we can finally achieve the American dream in this country again,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday. The speech will also serve as a “celebration” of America’s 250th birthday, Leavitt said.

Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the 2026 State of the Union address.

When is the State of the Union?

The president will deliver the State of the Union address tonight, Feb. 24.

What time is the State of the Union?

Trump’s State of the Union speech will start at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Where can I watch the State of the Union?

The State of the Union address will be shown live across major broadcast networks and cable news channels, including ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX. It will also air live on C-SPAN. Various free livestreams are also available online.

How to watch the State of the Union without cable:

No cable? No problem. Trump’s State of the Union speech will be livestreamed for free on the White House website and on YouTube.

How long is the State of the Union?

State of the Union addresses typically last between 60 and 90 minutes. However, Trump did set the record for the longest speech to a joint session of Congress back in 2025, lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Previewing tonight’s State of the Union address, President Trump told reporters on Monday that “it's going to be a long speech because we have a lot to talk about."

Which politicians will deliver responses?

Democrats have selected Gov. Abigail Spanberger of Virginia and Sen. Alex Padilla of California to deliver the Democratic responses to Trump’s speech tonight.

Spanberger will give her remarks in English, while Padilla will deliver the Spanish-language response.

Democratic representative Summer Lee of Pennsylvania will give the progressive Working Families Party's response.