(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump is set to give the first State of the Union address of his second term on Tuesday amid a backdrop of looming midterm elections and lingering questions about the economy, immigration and foreign policy.
Trump’s address comes as lawmakers are still at an impasse over funding for the Department of Homeland Security amid the administration’s immigration crackdown — and with the partial government shutdown in its second week. The United States’ tensions with Iran, affordability and the economy, the upcoming high-impact midterm elections and the Supreme Court’s recent rebuke of his tariffs will likely be topics the presidents touches on as well.
Though his allies have called Trump’s second term transformative and historic on many fronts, his address comes as majorities of Americans disapprove of how the president is handling inflation, tariffs, relations with other countries, immigration and the economy, according to a recently released ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll.
Trump last delivered a joint address to Congress in March — the longest in history. On Monday, Trump previewed that this year’s address with be “a long speech because we have so much to talk about.”
Here’s what you need to know about the speech and how to watch.
When is the State of the Union address?
Trump will speak before Congress at the Capitol on Tuesday at 9 p.m. EST.
The State of the Union is a presidential duty mandated in the Constitution, which calls for the president “from time to time to give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union.”
Speaker Mike Johnson invited Trump to speak before the joint session of Congress last month.
How to watch and stream the State of the Union
ABC News will air the State of the Union live at 9 p.m. EST, ABC News Live will stream special coverage starting at 7 p.m. EST and ABC News Digital will have a live blog with up-to-the-minute updates, key takeaways of the address and analysis.
“World News Tonight” Anchor and Managing Editor David Muir will lead coverage from Washington, featuring ABC News’ political team, including “World News Tonight” Sunday and ABC News Live “Prime” Anchor Linsey Davis, Chief White House Correspondent Mary Bruce, “This Week” Co-anchor and Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz, “This Week” Co-anchor and Chief Washington Correspondent Jonathan Karl, Chief Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas, Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott and Correspondent Jay O’Brien.
Contributors Donna Brazile and Chris Christie along with former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy will provide analysis across ABC News’ platforms, too.
Muir will anchor a special edition of “World News Tonight with David Muir” from Washington on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. EST. “Good Morning America,” “GMA3” and “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” will have pre- and post-show coverage of the State of the Union.
The speech is also set to stream live on the White House website, its YouTube and social media platforms.
An estimated 36.6 million people watched Trump’s speech to Congress last year — a 13% increase over former President Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address, according to Nielsen.
What is Trump expected to say?
While we don’t yet know what Trump will say or announce during his address, it is expected that he will touch on tensions with Iran amid ABC News’ reports that he is considering a range of options for military strikes against Iran, including a possible limited strike aimed at enhancing the United States’ negotiating position.
When asked last week about the president’s thinking on potentially striking Iran and whether he would address the topic during his State of the Union address, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt implied more information will become clear during his speech.
“I will say with respect to the State of the Union you’ll be hearing more about what is to come from the president’s speech very soon at the appropriate time. It is going to be a very good and powerful speech,” Leavitt said.
Trump’s role in global conflicts was the focus of a video the White House posted on Sunday, saying that the “the State of the Union is STRONG because America is RESPECTED again on the world stage.”
Trump has claimed credit for ending a number of conflicts during his second term and taking limited military action to effect change.
Trump may also discuss his new tariff policy after the Supreme Court struck down most of his global tariffs, a key part of his economic policy, as illegal. Trump will face the Supreme Court justices in person on Tuesday night when he delivers his State of the Union address. The justices who attend are typically seated in front of the president in the first few rows.
Immigration, another key issue for the administration, will likely be discussed as Democrats demand changes to Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti — both U.S. citizens — at the hands of federal law enforcement in Minneapolis. Democrats’ demands and the ongoing negotiations with Republicans and the White House have held up funding for DHS, causing an ongoing shutdown of the agency.
Who will be there?
The State of the Union marks one of the rare times all branches of government are under the same roof. The president, members of Congress and Supreme Court justices attend — although all may not be there.
The speaker of the House and vice president sit behind the president while he speaks.
The White House and members of Congress typically invite guests with specific backgrounds and stories that are important to them both personally and politically — people they want to thank, to honor or even to highlight a particular issue.
Democratic Reps. Jamie Raskin and Suhas Subramanyam shared their guests would be Sky and Amanda Roberts — the brother and sister-in-law, respectively, of the late Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a survivor of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Who is speaking for the Democratic Party?
Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger will deliver the Democratic response to Trump’s State of the Union address.
Spanberger’s 2025 win, which flipped control of the governor’s mansion from red to blue, marked the first time a woman has held the position in Virginia.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said last week that in her speech, Spanberger “will lay out a clear path forward: lower everyday costs, protect healthcare, and defend the freedoms that define who we are as a nation.”
California Sen. Alex Padilla will deliver the Spanish-language response.
Dozens of Democrats are poised to skip Trump’s State of the Union address, opting instead to attend a counterprogram sponsored by MoveOn.org on the National Mall. The optics of their absence may not be apparent inside the chamber, as the Senate, Cabinet, Supreme Court and other dignitaries fill the already-crowded space.
The majority of congressional Democrats are expected to attend. As Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said, “you don’t let anyone ever run you off of your block.” He has made the case for his caucus to show its presence without any shenanigans or outbursts after Democratic Rep. Al Green was ejected and ultimately censured for shaking his cane and shouting at Trump during last year’s joint address.
ABC News’ John Parkinson, Lauren Peller and Lalee Ibssa contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.