Trump’s Upcoming Congress Speech: What History Tells Us About Its Length

President Donald Trump is scheduled to address Congress on Tuesday night for the first time in his second term. Although this event is not officially labeled as the “State of the Union,” it will resemble one, being broadcast live to the public.

Trump has gained notoriety for his lengthy addresses. His three State of the Union speeches have approached record durations. The longest, delivered in 2019, lasted one hour, 22 minutes, and 25 seconds, making it the third-longest in history. His first State of the Union in 2018 was 80 minutes long, while his final one in 2020 was approximately 78 minutes.

In contrast, his first joint session address in 2017 clocked in at just over one hour, almost 20 minutes shorter than some of his annual addresses. For perspective, The American Presidency Project has detailed comparisons of speeches dating back to 1964.

Bill Clinton holds the record for the longest spoken State of the Union address, which lasted one hour, 28 minutes, and 49 seconds in 2000. George W. Bush and Barack Obama maintained shorter addresses, averaging about 50 minutes and one hour, respectively. Notably, Trump has claimed multiple spots among the longest modern addresses, with both he and Clinton occupying the top seven positions in this regard.

The longest written State of the Union address belongs to Jimmy Carter, who delivered a 33,667-word address in 1981. Typically, Carter’s spoken addresses averaged around 37 minutes in length.

On the other end of the spectrum, Richard Nixon’s 1972 speech holds the record for the shortest spoken State of the Union address, lasting only 28 minutes and 55 seconds.