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THE STATE OF THE UNION IS … HEFTY By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews Correspondent
"It's going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about."
In 15 words, President Donald Trump prepared us all for the possibility of two hours of speechifying, what could be an extra-long State of the Union night.
So let's get ready with a closer look at three areas worth watching.
The speech itself
Trump relishes and can command a stage. But teleprompters have unusual effects on him. Watching dozens of his speeches, I've found an inverse relationship between how much an occasion requires a teleprompter and how much verve Trump displays. Teleprompters often mean a slower, lower-energy Trump.
I also know this: He has a comfort zone of length, and it is between 90 to 100 minutes. That was where his campaign speeches hovered in 2024. And last year's speech to a joint session of Congress clocked in at a record-breaking 99 minutes.
If Trump's teleprompted remarks for this State of the Union address are long by his standards, we are then likely eyeballing two hours.
The stakes
Indeed, there is much to talk about. First, there are points of pride for him and Republicans.
The passage of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," with new tax cuts and extended tax cuts affecting nearly all Americans.
U.S. economic growth slowed down to just 1.4% at the end of last year.
Inflation ticked up to 2.9%, according to the most recently available data, almost a full point above the Federal Reserve's target.
The Department of Homeland Security immigration crackdown has left at least three U.S. citizens dead, and others injured and has led to widespread aggressive detentions of people without criminal records. Nearly two-thirds of Americans say Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have gone too far.
DHS is in the midst of a partial government shutdown.
A politician without an audience is like a bicycle with no tires: They won't go far.
Trump has a massive audience in the room and a larger one over the airwaves.
In-person, the room can hold about 950 people, as USA Today depicted nicely last year. Those are members of Congress and their guests, Supreme Court justices, the press, and the president's Cabinet and his special guests.
This year, Democrats have asked their members to be respectful if they plan on attending. That means no boos, no signs. A significant number of Democrats are boycotting, including a group who is joining an alternate event on the National Mall during the president's speech.
And there will be a change on the Republican side as well. Former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has left office and won't be in the chamber. Last year, she served as a lead MAGA and Trump cheerleader. Without her there, there will be either an opening or a vacuum.
Finally, the audience that matters the most in the upcoming November midterms: the American public. Last year, more than 36 million viewers tuned in, per Nielsen, 13% higher than the number for Biden in 2024.
In the room will be a few dozen Republicans, and one Speaker of the House, who need Trump's message to hit with those millions of people – and turn around the fast declining poll numbers they see on the road to November.
The Democrats' hope? That audiences outside of Congress do what they often do. Watch, or don't watch. But usually forget most of the speech within months — unless it is a disaster.
More on the State of the Union from our coverage:
The Big Speech: Trump will give his State of the Union address at 9 p.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Our live coverage begins at 6 p.m. EST.
ASL Interpretation: PBS News will provide live ASL interpretation for the speech via our partners at D-PAN.Watch it here.
Democratic Response: Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Virginia's first woman governor, will deliver the official Democratic response after Trump's speech. Watch it here.
Big SOTU Moments: On Wednesday at 11 a.m. EST, PBS News' Deema Zein will host a live conversation with Capitol Hill correspondent Lisa Desjardins and White House correspondent Liz Landers on the major takeaways from Trump's speech.
CHECKS AND BALANCES AREN'T WORKING, MOST AMERICANS SAY
Watch the segment in the player above.
By Matt Loffman Senior Elections Producer
On the eve of President Donald Trump's State of the Union address, two-thirds of Americans say the system of checks and balances that divides power between the White House, Congress and the courts is not working well, according to the latest PBS News/NPR/Marist Poll.
That's a dramatic rise in the percentage of people who say they now doubt how a core tenet of American democracy is functioning, jumping 12 percentage points from this time last year. Since December 2024, the month before Trump returned to the White House, that number has doubled.
The decline in faith is seen across the partisan spectrum, with Democrats and independents swinging 45 and 34 points respectively since then. Among Republicans, who control the White House and have majorities in both chambers of Congress, there's also been a significant 19 percentage-point drop in confidence in the system.
Image by Steff Staples/ PBS News
That finding marks a troubling moment and a flashing warning sign, according to constitutional law scholar Kimberly Wehle, who teaches at the University of Baltimore School of Law.
To Wehle, it is hard to exaggerate "the extent to which the last year has degraded, if not demolished, the basic pillars of constitutional democracy," she said.
One of the most significant checks on Trump's agenda was delivered by the Supreme Court on Friday. The justices struck down his sweeping tariffs on foreign goods, the cornerstone of his second-term economy policy in a 6-3 decision. The latest poll was conducted days before the ruling was announced.
After the defeat, Trump lashed out at the justices and said he "couldn't care less" if they attend his speech on Tuesday.
"I'm ashamed of certain members of the court," Trump said. "They also are a frankly disgrace to our nation, those justices."
The president also suggested the defeat would not be the end to his global tariffs. Rather, he'd simply find a new legal justification to carry out his plan and again bypass congressional input – potentially setting up a future fight with the court.
THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION By Joshua Barajas Senior Editor, Digital
The State of the Union wasn't always delivered as a speech before Congress.
George Washington gave his "Annual Message" — as it was called at the time — in front of lawmakers in New York City. John Adams also opted for in-person speeches. Thomas Jefferson, though, broke the presidential practice, preferring to send his annual message to Congress to be read by clerks.
Jefferson attached a letter to his 1801 address, noting the inconvenience of appearing in person to deliver the constitutionally mandated message.
He also wrote that he wanted to give Congress the "relief from the embarrassment of immediate answers on subjects not yet fully before them."
A U.S. president wouldn't deliver another such address in person until more than a century later.
Our question: Which U.S. president resumed the practice of in-person delivery of State of the Union addresses?
Send your answers to NewsHourPolitics@newshour.org or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
Last week, we asked: What three words did the Rev. Jesse Jackson repeat at the end of his 1988 convention speech, becoming a signature phrase for his work?
The answer: "Keep hope alive." Celebrations of life and funeral services for Jackson, who died last week at age 84, will begin later this week. House Speaker Mike Johnson denied a request for the civil rights icon to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol.
Congratulations to our winners: Christopher Cross and Connie Raab!
Thank you all for reading and watching. We'll drop into your inbox next week.
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