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How the State of the Union became a stage for political confrontation
This year, a group of Democrats will abandon Trump's speech for an outdoor rally against his policies.
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Reuters - Sat, 21, Feb 2026
- 16:15 EST
- 63
FILE PHOTO: US President Donald Trump speaks during an address to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 4, 2025. / MANDEL NGAN/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
What began as a spare presidential report to the U.S. Congress has hardened into a prime-time pressure chamber shaped by an era of fierce polarization, with the State of the Union speech now unfolding as a long night of choreographed tension and open confrontation - a moment for presidents to wrest narrative from turmoil and craft the defining images of their time in power.
President Donald Trump will deliver his speech to Congress at 9 p.m. ET on Feb. 17, a far cry from President George Washington's first address in 1790 - a brisk 1,089-word report that could be read in less time than many modern presidents take to clear their throats.
Also Read: Trump administration rule could pause work permits for asylum applicants for 'many years'
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