President Donald Trump to give 2026 State of the Union: Timing, how to watch, more

President Donald Trump will deliver the 2026 State of the Union on Tuesday night. 

What time is the State of the Union? 

Trump's State of the Union address is slated to begin Tuesday at 9 p.m. 

How to watch Trump's 2025 address to Congress

What you can do:

The State of the Union can be viewed on FOX 35 and the FOX LOCAL app. 

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What will President Trump discuss? 

In an interview with FOX News on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump's speech will celebrate the 250th year of America's independence. 

"He is going (to) share the stories of great American heroes who exemplify bravery and the spirit of 1776," Leavitt said. "And the president is, of course, going to tout his administration's record-setting over the past year. While laying out an ambitious agenda to continue making the American dream more attainable and affordable for working-class people across the country. It's going to be a great speech. There will be some tear-jerking moments as there was last year, in addition to some moments of levity. And so we hope everybody will tune in."

State of the Union preview

President Donald Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union address Tuesday. Dr. Larry Walker, an associate professor at UCF, joins Good Day Orlando to discuss topics Trump might outline in his speech. 

UCF professor anticipates a long speech

Larry Walker, an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Higher Education at the University of Central Florida, anticipates President Trump's speech will be long, saying there's many topics to focus on. 

In a discussion with Good Day Orlando, Walker anticipated that the president will speak on immigration and the economy. 

"It is campaign season, so it's going to be really important for President Trump to outline what he sees for the country and the Republican Party. So members – particularly on the House side – can use that to run the next several months leading up to the election," Walker said. 

Who will be at the State of the Union?

Members of the U.S. Supreme Court and Trump's Cabinet will attend. Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson will be seated on either side of Trump. 

There's always one Cabinet member missing, though. Called the "designated survivor," that person — who by position is in the presidential line of succession — is intentionally left out of such events to ensure that someone could assume the office of the president in case of a catastrophic or mass-casualty event.

The president typically invites guests who join the event from the balcony above the House floor and are seated with the first lady. Sometimes, there are personal connections, and other times the guests have an association with an issue the president intends to highlight in his remarks.

Speaker Johnson has invited the family of a slain Louisiana police officer to the State of the Union.

"It is my profound honor to host Shirley Brock-Dennis and Kambreigh Smith — the respective mother and fiancée of Vivian Police Officer Marc Brock — as my guests for the State of the Union address. In November, Officer Brock was tragically killed in the line of duty," Johnson told Fox News Digital.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger to deliver Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will take the national stage next week as the Democratic Party’s voice responding to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address.

Who is giving the Democratic response? 

The other side:

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic rebuttal immediately following Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday, offering the party a high-profile opportunity to present a counter message.

She served three terms in Congress before being elected governor. Earlier this year, she became Virginia’s first female governor after winning the race by a double-digit margin in an office previously held by a Republican.

Spanberger campaigned on affordability and lowering costs for families.