US President Donald Trump speaks during an address to a joint session of Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on March 4, 2025. MANDEL NGAN/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab
Feb 21 (Reuters) – What began as a spare presidential report to the U.S. Congress has hardened into a prime-time pressure chamber shaped by an era of fierce polarization, with the State of the Union speech now unfolding as a long night of choreographed tension and open confrontation – a moment for presidents to wrest narrative from turmoil and craft the defining images of their time in power.
President Donald Trump will deliver his speech to Congress at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday (0200 GMT on Wednesday), a far cry from President George Washington’s first address in 1790 – a brisk 1,089-word report that could be read in less time than many modern presidents take to clear their throats.
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