President Donald Trumpis set to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second administration on Tuesday, Feb. 24, laying out his agenda under mounting political pressure as midterm elections loom andvoters signaling deep dissatisfactionin national polling. Trump did speak before ajoint session of Congress in Marchof last year, but that address was not officially considered a State of the Union. In a president's first year in office, it is common togive an early speech outlining priorities, with formal State of the Union addresses beginning in the years that follow.
This year's speech qualifies as a State of the Union because it comes after Trump receiveda formal invitation from House Speaker Mike Johnson,R-Louisiana, praising his leadership and saying the country "stands stronger, freer, and more prosperous."
So is the State of the Union tonight? Here's what you need to know.
Is the State of the Union tonight?
Yes. Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union address at 9 p.m. ET
How to stream the State of the Union
USA TODAY will stream coverage of the State of the Union on Tuesday night.
How to watch the State of the Union on TV
USA TODAY will live stream coverage, both on itsYouTube Channelandwebsite.
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Apart from USA TODAY's live stream, the State of the Union will be broadcast live on theWhite House's YouTube pageand on all major networks, includingABC, NBC,CBS, Fox News, NewsNation, NPR,PBSand the BBC.
What is the State of the Union?
According to Congress' website, the State of the Union is a speech in which the president explains how the country is doing and outlines what issues lawmakers should focus on in the year ahead.
The address isrequired by the U.S. Constitution, which instructs the president to keep Congress informed about the state of the nation and recommend legislative priorities.
The speech is traditionally delivered once a year, usually sometime between early January and early February.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Donald Trump's State of the Union: How to watch the address
