US President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address on record on Tuesday, surpassing the previous benchmark set by former President Bill Clinton in 2000.
The speech lasted nearly 1 hour and 48 minutes.
The speech also exceeded Trump’s own record for a presidential address to Congress, set last March during an annual address that was not formally designated as a State of the Union.
Trump had previewed the length of the address, saying, “it’s going to be a long speech because we have a lot to talk about.”
Trump largely stayed on script during the address, using a series of special guests to highlight his message, including US military personnel and a former Venezuelan political prisoner released after the removal of President Nicolás Maduro.
He outlined his immigration crackdown and defended his tariff policy after the Supreme Court struck down the measures, calling the ruling “an unfortunate decision.” His remarks drew contrasting reactions from lawmakers across the aisle.
Lawmakers reacted with divided responses as Trump concluded his address, with Republicans rising for a final standing ovation at the end of his remarks.
Data shows modern presidents tend to deliver longer State of the Union addresses than their predecessors. In the 1960s and 1970s, many speeches lasted under an hour, while more recent addresses have often extended well beyond that mark, as cited by Fox News.
Former US president Richard Nixon delivered the shortest State of the Union addresses on average, at about 35 minutes, while Trump’s first term featured some of the longest, averaging around 80 minutes.
Trump has delivered several lengthy political speeches. He spoke for two hours and two minutes at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference.
He also holds the record for the longest presidential nomination acceptance speech, delivering a 93-minute address at the 2024 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, surpassing his 2016 record of about 75 minutes.
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