Which president gave the longest State of the Union speech?
USA TODAY
President Trump is set to deliver his latest State of the Union address. Learn about his record-setting speeches and how to watch the 2026 event.
President Donald Trump is preparing to deliver another lengthy address to Congress, with his first formal State of the Union of his second stint in office set for Feb. 24 — less than a year after he delivered the longest speech ever recorded before a joint session.
Trump’s 2025 address to Congress ran 1 hour, 39 minutes and 32 seconds, according to the University of California–Santa Barbara’s American Presidency Project, setting a new record for the longest State of the Union or joint session speech. The previous mark was held by former President Bill Clinton, whose final State of the Union in 2000 lasted 1 hour, 28 minutes and 49 seconds.
Lengthy addresses are nothing new for Trump. During his first term, his speeches to Congress averaged about 1 hour and 20 minutes, the Project shows. His longest address from that period came during the 2019 State of the Union, which clocked in at 1:22:25.
Last year’s record-setting speech underscored the country’s political divide, with Trump repeatedly attacking liberal lawmakers as several Democrats staged protests during the address. This year, Trump is expected to highlight what he sees as his accomplishments as Republicans look to bolster their position ahead of the midterm elections, even as some Democrats announced plans to skip the speech altogether.
Here’s what to know about the longest and shortest speeches ever delivered to Congress.
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