Trump Sets Record for Longest State of the Union Address

President Donald Trump has made headlines by delivering the longest State of the Union address in history, breaking both his own previous record and a milestone set by former President Bill Clinton back in 2000.

The address took place on Tuesday and lasted a total of 108 minutes—almost one hour and 50 minutes. The American Presidency Project, which has been tracking these statistics since 1964, confirmed that this marks the longest speech given to a joint session of Congress in over 60 years.

This latest speech exceeded Trump’s 99-minute address from last March, which, though lengthy, wasn’t classified as an official State of the Union. Prior to 2026, Clinton held the record for the longest official address, clocking in at 89 minutes, and his second-longest speech was 85 minutes in 1995.

“My fellow Americans, each time I prepare for the State of the Union, I approach it with great hope and expectations for our nation. But tonight is special — because we stand on the mountaintop of a new millennium. Behind us, we see the great expanse of American achievement; before us, even grander frontiers of possibility,” Clinton remarked in his final State of the Union.

In recent years, presidents have generally delivered longer annual addresses compared to those in the past. In the 1960s and 70s, these speeches usually lasted under an hour. However, Trump has a penchant for lengthy orations—whether using a teleprompter or not—during rallies, conferences, and other official speeches.

Before this record-setting 2026 speech, Trump already held the fourth and fifth longest State of the Union addresses with his speeches in 2019 (82 minutes) and 2018 (81 minutes).

The State of the Union tradition dates back to George Washington in 1790 and serves as a formal opportunity for the president to present his legislative agenda to Congress. Interestingly, while modern addresses often stretch for long durations, Washington’s inaugural address remains the shortest in history at just 833 words.

Even with its brevity, Washington’s address set the stage for future speeches by emphasizing key issues such as national defense, foreign policy, and the advancement of American agriculture and commerce.