President Donald Trump on Tuesday night will deliver the first joint session of Congress, his first major speech since taking office for a second term.
It’s not officially called the State of the Union, a title reserved for a president’s annual address to Congress during other years of an administration. But it is an opportunity for Trump to lay out his priorities for the year.
In a message posted to the social media platform Truth Social, President Trump said tomorrow night "will be big."
As the speech approaches, here's what to know, how to watch and more.
What time is Trump's speech?
The speech starts at 8 p.m. CT on Tuesday, March 4.
Politics
House Speaker Mike Johnson invited Trump to deliver the joint address to Congress in a letter sent in late January.
"...Your administration and the 119th Congress working together have the chance to make these next four years some of the most consequential in our nation's history," he stated, in part. "To that end, it is my distinct honor and great privilege to invite you to address a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, in the Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, to share your America First vision for our legislative future..."
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Where to watch Trump's speech live
Trump's speech will be shown live on all of the major network and cable television stations, including on NBC, MSNBC, NBC News Now, NBC’s online streaming network Peacock, and this website.
It will also be available live on the NBC Chicago streaming channel.
The 24-7 streaming channel, NBC Chicago News, is now available at the top of this page, on NBCChicago.com and the NBC Chicago app, as well as on Peacock, Roku, Samsung TV Plus and Xumo. (Details on how to watch here)
Where does the address take place?
Trump’s speech will take place in the U.S. House chamber. Larger than the Senate chamber, it can accommodate both House and Senate lawmakers as well as other officials who are typically invited to such events.
Who else will be there?
Members of the U.S. Supreme Court and Trump’s Cabinet will attend.
There’s always one Cabinet member missing, though. Called the “designated survivor,” that person — who by position is in the presidential line of succession — is intentionally left out of such events to ensure that someone could assume the office of the president in case of a catastrophic or mass-casualty event.
The president typically invites guests who join the event from the balcony above the House floor and are seated with the first lady. Sometimes, there are personal connections, and other times the guests have an association with an issue the president intends to highlight in his remarks.
In his first joint address after taking office in 2017, Trump invited the widow of late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, as well as the widows of two California police officers killed by a man living in the country illegally.
What happens afterward?
As there is a post-State of the Union address, the opposing party — in this case, the Democrats — will offer a message in response to the joint congressional address.
This year, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who previously served in the House, will give the Democrats’ response, which is also televised. Democratic leaders have said that in her message, Slotkin will likely focus on economic issues.
The party has also tapped Rep. Adriano Espaillat of New York, chair of the Hispanic Caucus, to give a Spanish-language response. On Saturday, Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States, a measure that allows government agencies and organizations that receive federal funding to choose whether to continue to offer documents and services in languages other than English.
Why isn’t this called the State of the Union?
By tradition, a State of the Union address is intended as a look back on the prior year. Trump just took office — albeit for a second time — on Jan. 20, so he’s only been in office this go-round for just over a month.
Instead, newly inaugurated presidents typically use their first joint congressional addresses to look forward, setting a tone for their legislative agenda. According to the Congressional Research Service, the average number of policy requests in a first-year address is 42.
