Trump sets new record for longest State of the Union address

President Donald Trump has set a new record for the longest State of the Union address in modern US history. President Trump delivered his first official State of the Union address of his second term on February 24 (February 25, 7:30 AM IST). His speech ran for 1 hour, 39 minutes and 32 seconds, overtaking former President Bill Clinton’s 2000 address, which lasted 1 hour, 28 minutes and 49 seconds.

According to the American Presidency Project at the University of California, Santa Barbara, Trump’s remarks now stand as the longest joint session address on record.

No fixed time limit for the speech

The US Constitution requires the President to inform Congress about the state of the nation and outline legislative priorities. However, it does not prescribe how long the address should be. As a result, the duration has varied widely over the years.

Also Read | Trump brands Iran as the 'World No.1 sponsor of terrorism' during State of the Union Budget - complete details here

Data from the House Office of the Historian shows that there have been 100 in-person addresses between 1790 and 2024. Some presidents kept their remarks brief. Others used the platform for extended policy messaging.

Trump’s history of lengthy addresses

Trump’s speeches to Congress have often stretched beyond the one-hour mark. In 2025, during a joint session address that was not formally designated as a State of the Union, he spoke for 1 hour, 39 minutes and 32 seconds, the speech that broke Clinton’s long-standing record.

During his first term, Trump’s congressional addresses averaged around 1 hour and 20 minutes. His longest speech in that period came in 2019, when he spoke for 1 hour, 22 minutes and 25 seconds.

Also Read | Donald Trump's new economic theory: Tariffs can 'replace' income tax for Americans in coming days

“It’s going to be a long speech,” Trump said on February 23, adding that there is “so much to talk about.”

This year, the Democratic rebuttal will be delivered by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger.

Other presidents have also delivered lengthy speeches. Lyndon B. Johnson spoke for 1 hour and 11 minutes in 1967, while Joe Biden’s 2023 address ran for 1 hour and 13 minutes, according to USA Today.