U.S. President Donald Trump has delivered the longest State of the Union-style address in modern history, speaking for nearly one hour and 48 minutes before Congress.
The extended speech, delivered Tuesday night, set a new record for presidential addresses to a joint session in at least six decades. Moreover, it surpassed Trump’s own previous record set just last year.
The longest State of the Union address in recent history has quickly become a talking point across political circles.
According to data from the American Presidency Project, which has tracked such speeches since 1964, no other president has spoken longer before Congress during that period.
Trump’s latest address exceeded his earlier record of one hour and 39 minutes. That earlier speech, however, was not officially classified as a State of the Union.
Before Trump, the modern-era record was held by former President Bill Clinton. His 2000 State of the Union lasted one hour and 28 minutes.
By contrast, the shortest address over the past 60 years was delivered by Richard Nixon in 1972. His speech lasted only 28 minutes, according to the same archive.
Tuesday’s marathon address included several pauses. Applause, interruptions, and guest recognitions contributed to the extended runtime. In addition, a tribute was paid to the Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team.
The annual State of the Union address allows presidents to outline their legislative priorities. It also provides an opportunity to frame the national agenda for the year ahead.
However, this year’s speech came at a sensitive moment. Recent polling suggests many Americans believe the country is worse off than it was a year ago.
Historically, State of the Union speeches have varied widely in tone and duration. However, Trump’s latest address now stands as the longest recorded in the modern tracking era.
