Who holds record for longest State of the Union address? Will Trump break it?
United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump is all set for his first formal State of the Union address in his second term on Wednesday, February 24, 2026.
This comes nearly a year after the 47th POTUS delivered the longest speech ever recorded before Congress, which lasted 1 hour, 39 minutes and 32 seconds.
Trump’s 2025 address set the record for the longest speech delivered before a joint session of Congress or during a State of the Union.
Trump has hinted that he plans to deliver another long address, saying, “It’s gonna be a long speech because we have so much to talk about.”
According to the University of California–Santa Barbara’s American Presidency Project, the previous record for the longest speech was held by former President Bill Clinton, who addressed the State of the Union in 2000 for 1 hour, 28 minutes and 49 seconds.
Lengthy speeches or meetings are nothing new for President Trump. He holds the record for longest cabinet meeting in U.S. history, which was held on August 26, 2025, and lasted for more than 3.5 hours.
Trump’s speeches to Congress during his first term averaged 1 hour and 20 minutes.
In his 2026 State of the Union speech, the U.S. president plans to discuss what he described as “the greatest economy the U.S. has ever had,” as well as his administration’s role in resolving global conflicts, the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and nuclear negotiations with Iran.
Who gave the shortest State of the Union speech?
The shortest State of the Union address on record was delivered by Richard Nixon on January 20, 1972. Its total duration was 28 minutes and 55 seconds.
