State of the Union 2026: How & When to Watch Donald Trump’s Speech

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson invited President Donald Trump to deliver his 2026 State of the Union Address on January 7. The event is scheduled for February 24 in Washington, D.C., and it be broadcast live across all the major news networks.

Trump didn’t deliver an official State of the Union address in 2025. Instead, he delivered an “Address Before a Joint Session of Congress” in March of that year. Should he proceed with this year’s plan as scheduled, it will be his first State of the Union of his second term. It will air during a time of massive national unrest as the Trump administration continues to send ICE agents into major American cities to arrest immigrants unlawfully, and the National Guard is still deployed in D.C., per Trump’s direction.

Here’s a breakdown of when and how to watch the 2026 State of the Union.

When is the 2026 State of the Union Address?

President Trump will deliver a speech on Tuesday, February 24, to a joint session of Congress.

The annual speech, which Trump skipped in 2025, gives the president a national platform to inform Congress and the American people about their plans for the year ahead.

What time does the 2026 State of the Union Address start?

The live broadcast will begin at 9/8c. Coverage will continue through 11 p.m. ET, followed by local programming.

Where can I watch the 2026 State of the Union Address?

The State of the Union will air live on all of the major news networks — ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox (airing a Fox News special), PBS — from 9-11 p.m. ET on February 24. Some of the following channels currently have livestream links available on YouTube as of the time of publication. Some of the YouTube live coverage will begin before 9 p.m. ET, but the speech will start around 9 p.m. ET for all of the channels.

ABC

ABC News’s coverage is called “State of the Union and the Democratic Response.” The speech will be broadcast live on ABC, with commentary to follow. There will also be a livestream of the address on ABC News’s YouTube channel.

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CBS

CBS News’s coverage will begin at 8/7c on YouTube, with the speech beginning at 9/8c on CBS and YouTube.

NBC

NBC News coverage can be watched on NBC.

Late-night talk shows tend to have special programming for the State of the Union Address, but coverage announcements have not been made as of the time of publication, so stay tuned for updates.

PBS NewsHour

Coverage on PBS NewsHour’s YouTube channel begins at 6/5c. PBS will air the speech at 9/8c on the TV channel, followed by the Democratic response and analysis.

Fox News

Fox News‘s coverage begins at 8:50 p.m. ET on the Fox News channel. The broadcast will be followed by a new episode of Hannity at 11 p.m. ET.

Telemundo

Telemundo‘s coverage begins at 8:50 p.m. ET on the TV channel.

Univision

Coverage begins at 8:50 p.m. ET on Univision.

White House YouTube Channel

The event will likely be livestreamed on the White House’s YouTube channel as well.

BBC News

The BBC News Channel will cover the address from 8 p.m. ET to midnight, anchored by chief presenters Sumi Somaskanda and Caitriona Perry, with a panel of former lawmakers and political strategists to analyze the speech. Coverage can be watched on the BBC News cable channel, on BBC.com, and on major FAST/CTV channels.

NewsNation

NewsNation will present special live coverage of the State of the Union and the Democratic Response on Tuesday, February 24, from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m. ET.

Leading up to the President’s official remarks, the network will present special editions of The Hill with moderator and chief Washington correspondent Blake Burman at 6 p.m. ET, Elizabeth Vargas Reports anchored by Elizabeth Vargas at 7 p.m. ET, and CUOMO hosted by Chris Cuomo at 8 p.m. ET.

Beginning at 9 p.m. ET, Chief Washington anchor Leland Vittert will present a special three-hour broadcast entitled Special Report: State of the Union. At the conclusion of President Trump’s speech, the live report will feature analysis and commentary from political editor Chris Stirewalt and primetime hosts Katie Pavlich and Jesse Weber, among other political experts and guests. Additional contributions will also be provided by White House correspondent Kellie Meyer and Senior Congressional correspondent Joe Khalil.