Trump sets new record for SOTU speech length
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President Trump's State of the Union speech set a new record Tuesday for the longest address to Congress, at 108 minutes — eight longer than his 100 minute speech in 2025.
The big picture: The annual speech has stretched to ever longer lengths in recent years, not just because of the address but from frequent interruptions — applause, heckling — from spectators.
- Trump had warned Monday that he would give "a long speech because we have so much to talk about."
Driving the news: While the president said he would spend time discussing the economy and affordability — which he acknowledged is a top concern for Americans — most of the speech focused on other issues like immigration and tariffs.
- Trump also awarded six medals during the speech: five to current and former military members and one to Team USA hockey goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
By the numbers: Trump spoke an estimated 9,906 words during his record-breaking 2025 address to Congress, beating out former President Biden's 2023 record by about 700 words.
- The previous record holder was President Clinton's 2000 speech, in which he spoke over 89 minutes.
- The total number of words Trump spoke in his 2026 address wasn't available at publication time.
Flashback: Some presidents chose to address Congress in writing rather than in a speech, with their letters frequently topping 10,000 words.
- During the Iran hostage crisis, former President Carter delivered the longest written address to Congress at 33,667 words in January 1981.
Zoom in: Trump's average speech during his first term was an hour and twenty minutes, beating out former President Clinton's then infamously long hour and 15 minute average.
- The median speech since 1964 has clocked in at about 45 minutes, but that number has been steadily ticking up since the famously verbose Clinton.
Worth noting: The first address a president gives to Congress after being sworn in is technically not considered a State of the Union address, but the speeches function in similar ways and are counted as the same by many historians.
Go deeper: Democratic response to Trump's SOTU becomes a crowded affair
Editor's note: This story has been updated with information from the 2026 State of the Union address.
