State of the Union address 2026: What to expect in Trump’s speech

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is set to speak to Americans and Congress during his first  State of the Union Address in his second term. 

Here's what we know:

What is the State of the Union address?

Dig deeper:

Trump's State of the Union address will be held on Tuesday, February. 24 at 9 p.m. ET. 

Where can I watch the State of the Union address?

What you can do:

A number of networks have said they plan to air the Republican president's address across their broadcast and streaming platforms, with special programming before and afterward. 

Viewers can also watch the speech on major television networks, including FOX and FOX News.

FOX’s free streaming channel LiveNOW from FOX will air Trump's address live, raw and unfiltered on your smart TV and mobile device. You can also find LiveNOW from FOX on YouTube.

LiveNOW from FOX will also have special coverage leading up to his address and then afterward, including the Democrats’ response.

What will Trump talk about?

Why you should care:

Trump is expected to talk about the following topics:

Economy

Powered by strong consumer spending, the U.S. economy grew at the fastest pace in two years from July through September, the government said in a slight upgrade of its first estimate. America’s gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — rose at a 4.4% annual pace in the third quarter, the Commerce Department reported Thursday, up from 3.8% in the April-June quarter and from the 4.3% growth the department initially estimated. The economy hasn’t grown faster since third-quarter 2023.

The economy has remained resilient despite uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump’s economic policies, particularly his double-digit taxes on imports from almost every country on Earth.

Despite the strong growth numbers, many Americans are dissatisfied with the state of the economy and especially the high cost of living.

RELATED: January jobs report shows US added 130K jobs exceeding economists expectations

Immigration

When Trump entered office, immigration was among his strongest issues. It’s since faded, a troubling sign for Trump, who campaigned on both economic prosperity and crackdowns to illegal immigration.

Just 38% of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling immigration, down from 49% in March.

At least six people have died during the Trump administration’s intense immigration enforcement campaign in the U.S.

RELATED: Most Americans say it's ‘unacceptable’ for immigration officers to hide their faces, poll finds

But there are signs that Americans still give Trump some leeway on immigration issues. About half of U.S. adults say Trump has "gone too far" when it comes to deporting immigrants living in the country illegally, which is unchanged since April, despite an immigration crackdown that spread to cities across the U.S. in the second half of the year.

Foreign policy

Trump has focused his attention more on foreign policy in his second term. 

Trump recently scrapped the tariffs that he threatened to impose on eight European nations to press for U.S. control over Greenland, pulling a dramatic reversal shortly after insisting he wanted to get the island "including right, title and ownership."

In a post on his social media site, Trump said he had agreed with the head of NATO on a "framework of a future deal" on Arctic security, potentially defusing tension that had far-reaching geopolitical implications.

He said "additional discussions" on Greenland were being held concerning the Golden Dome missile defense program, a multilayered, $175 billion system that for the first time will put U.S. weapons in space.

Donald J. TrumpU.S. HouseU.S. SenatePoliticsPolitics