President Donald Trump is set to speak before a joint session of Congress this week, marking his first address since returning to the White House.
This will be the first speech of its kind Trump has made during his second term in office.
Traditionally, presidents deliver an annual report to Congress informing them about the state of play in the U.S., including goals, accomplishments, and plans for the year ahead. Usually, this occurs within the first few months of the year and is broadcast to the entire nation.
Trump is expected to talk about what he’s done since taking office in January and his agenda for the next four years.
But the event, set Tuesday night, will not technically be a State of the Union address.
In January, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, invited Trump to make the address through a letter, writing, “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.
What is a State of the Union?
The State of the Union is an annual speech given by the president to Congress at the start of most calendar years, providing information on the current status and conditions in the United States. Typically, it is delivered to a joint session of Congress inside the House of Representatives chamber.
The address is written into the U.S. Constitution but did not become a tradition until 1913 when former President Woodrow Wilson brought the practice back and shifted its direction to focus on the nation’s priorities, achievements and future legislative plans.
America’s first two presidents, George Washington and John Adams, gave annual addresses to Congress, but the tradition stopped when Thomas Jefferson chose to provide the report in writing, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Jefferson felt a formal speech too closely resembled addresses delivered by the British monarchy.
In the years since, most State of the Unions have been delivered orally, but some have been done in writing, akin to Jefferson’s practice. The first televised address was Truman’s in 1947.