WATCH LIVE: President Donald Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address

President Donald Trump delivers his first State of the Union address of his second term to Congress and the nation on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump will deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday, February 24. Watch our live coverage, starting at 6pm EST, in the video player above.

He is likely to make his point about his administration’s achievements on issues such as mass deportation, deregulation and “law and order,” as well as touting his efforts to end several global conflicts. This speech is one of his biggest opportunities to present his case to keep his party in power next November, when Americans vote in the midterm elections.

While Trump may use his speech to look ahead to the major test he will face at the ballot box, he will also likely invoke the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States this year, and a vision of the “anti-woke” history and patriotism that his administration has worked to project and enforce across the public sphere.

At the same time, he will face a partial government shutdown, declining poll numbers, rising tensions with Iran, and a Supreme Court decision to overturn his key economic policy.

How to watch

Trump’s speech will begin on 9pm EST on Tuesday, February 24th.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Virginia’s first female governor and an outspoken critic of Trump, will deliver the official Democratic response. Spanberger was elected last November in an off-cycle election dominated by Democratic victories that was seen as a warning sign for Republicans in the upcoming midterms.

PBS News will host ongoing coverage beginning with the 6 p.m. EST broadcast, followed by special digital coverage at 8 p.m., before PBS News Hour co-anchors Amna Nawaz and Jeff Bennett host special on-air coverage at 9 p.m.

PBS News will provide a live ASL translation of the event presented by our partners at D-PAN.

You can also follow live coverage of the PBS NewsHour on YouTube, XFacebook , TikTok , and see highlights on our Instagram .

And on Wednesday at 11 a.m. EST, PBS News’ Dima Zein will host a live conversation with Capitol Hill correspondent Lisa Desjardins and White House correspondent Liz Landers about key points from Trump’s speech.