Trump’s address becomes longest State of the Union in decades

U.S. President, Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union-style address in recent history on Tuesday night, speaking for approximately one hour and 48 minutes before a joint session of Congress.

According to data compiled by the American Presidency Project, which has tracked such speeches since 1964, the address was the lengthiest delivered to Congress in at least six decades.

The speech surpassed the previous modern-era record also set by Trump when he spoke for one hour and 39 minutes last year. That address, delivered during the first year of his second nonconsecutive term, was technically not classified as a State of the Union.

Before Trump, the longest State of the Union on record belonged to Bill Clinton, whose 2000 address ran one hour and 28 minutes.

By contrast, the shortest speech before Congress over the past 60 years was delivered by Richard Nixon in 1972, lasting just 28 minutes, according to the same archive.

Tuesday’s extended runtime included multiple pauses for applause, interruptions, and guest recognitions, including a tribute to the Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team.

The annual address provides presidents an opportunity to outline legislative priorities and frame the national agenda. Trump’s remarks came at a time when recent polling indicates many Americans believe the country is worse off than it was a year ago.