President Donald Trump is set to deliver his state of the union 2026 address on Tuesday, February 24, at 9 p.m. EST, stepping before a joint session of Congress at one of the most turbulent junctures of his second term. The speech comes days after the Supreme Court handed him the biggest legal defeat of his presidency, as a partial government shutdown drags on and as his approval ratings continue to slide heading into a midterm election year.
The stage is set not just for a presidential address — it is shaping up to be one of the most charged and politically consequential nights in recent memory.
Read to the end to find out what Democrats are doing to counter Trump’s message tonight.
A Speech Overshadowed by a Major Court Defeat
Just days before Trump was scheduled to speak, the Supreme Court delivered a sweeping ruling that struck down his expansive tariff policy. The court held that Trump had violated federal law by imposing sweeping global tariffs using emergency economic powers under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act without congressional approval. The 6-3 ruling involved three of the court’s conservatives, including Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Neil Gorsuch, and Justice Amy Coney Barrett — all of whom Trump publicly berated at a press conference immediately following the ruling.
Trump called the three justices “fools and lapdogs” and described them as “disloyal” and “unpatriotic.” He also said he was “ashamed” of certain members of the court. That extraordinary outburst set the scene for an extremely tense moment in the House chamber Tuesday night, where by longstanding tradition all nine Supreme Court justices sit in the front row as the president speaks. The justices typically maintain stone-faced neutrality throughout the address, applauding only during nonpartisan moments. This year, every camera in the room will be trained on their faces.
Trump did not accept the tariff defeat quietly. He quickly signed an executive order invoking a separate legal authority — Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 — to impose a new 10 percent global tariff. He insisted the Supreme Court’s ruling had actually clarified and strengthened presidential authority over trade, a claim legal analysts have broadly disputed.
A Government Shutdown Still Unresolved
Compounding the drama, a partial government shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security remains unresolved with no end in sight. The funding lapse was triggered by Democratic opposition to Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement priorities, specifically over ICE funding. Federal workers paid by DHS — including TSA agents and border patrol officers — have not yet missed a paycheck, but the standoff continues to put pressure on both parties as Trump takes the podium.
The White House has not held direct talks with Democratic leaders on the shutdown ahead of the address, according to officials familiar with the matter. That means Trump will likely use the national platform of the State of the Union to push his case publicly while negotiations remain stalled.
What Trump Is Expected to Say
While the White House has provided little in the way of a formal preview, Trump is expected to lean into his administration’s record on immigration enforcement, highlighting a significant reduction in border crossings during fiscal year 2025 compared to the prior year. He is also expected to tout deregulation efforts, “law and order” messaging, and his administration’s attempts to end ongoing global conflicts, including in the Middle East.
The speech also arrives as the United States is weighing whether to take military action against Iran. Two U.S. Navy carrier strike groups — the USS Abraham Lincoln and the USS Gerald R. Ford — along with dozens of aircraft and hundreds of Tomahawk missiles, are currently positioned around Iran. Trump has stated he is considering limited strikes even as diplomatic discussions continue.
Trump is also expected to reference this year’s 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, likely weaving in themes of American patriotism and the “anti-woke” vision of history his administration has aggressively promoted across federal agencies and public institutions since taking office.
Democrats Divided: Attend or Boycott?
The opposition party heads into Tuesday night deeply split on how to respond. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries instructed Democratic lawmakers to either attend the speech with “silent defiance” or skip it altogether. Jeffries himself plans to attend.
At least 12 Democratic lawmakers, however, have announced they will skip the address entirely and instead attend a rival event called the “People’s State of the Union” rally on the National Mall, organized by progressive groups MeidasTouch and MoveOn.org. The event will feature federal workers, immigrants, and others affected by the Trump administration’s policies.
Senator Adam Schiff of California announced he will boycott Trump’s address in favor of an alternative event. Senator Patty Murray of Washington, who also skipped Trump’s address to Congress last year, said she will spend the evening meeting with constituents harmed by administration policies. Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen wrote on social media that he refuses to attend what he called a march toward authoritarianism.
A separate counter-event, dubbed “State of the Swamp,” is being held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., with participation from Oregon Senator Ron Wyden.
Who Will Deliver the Democratic Response
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger will deliver the official Democratic response to Trump’s address. Spanberger, who made history as Virginia’s first woman governor, has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration and was elected in an off-cycle election last November that was widely read as a warning sign for Republicans heading into the 2026 midterms.
Pennsylvania Representative Summer Lee will deliver a separate response on behalf of the progressive Working Families Party. Lee, who made history as the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, has stated her intention to challenge what she describes as a rigged system benefiting the ultra-wealthy.
The Political Stakes Could Not Be Higher
Trump’s speech arrives at a critical moment — not just domestically but as a strategic political document aimed at shoring up his party ahead of the November midterm elections. Republican control of both chambers of Congress is on the line, and Democrats have been emboldened by recent electoral wins and Trump’s declining approval numbers. Polling conducted ahead of the address shows roughly six in ten Americans disapprove of the president, though Democrats have struggled to convert that dissatisfaction into widespread support for their own policy platform.
The address is Trump’s most powerful single opportunity to speak directly to tens of millions of Americans without a filter, to reframe his record and project confidence at a moment when multiple crises are converging at once.
Whether he can move public opinion — historically a difficult task for any president in a State of the Union address — remains to be seen. But with the Supreme Court fight, the DHS shutdown, rising tensions with Iran, and a midterm election year officially underway, this speech stands apart from any address in recent memory for the raw level of conflict surrounding it.
All major television networks, including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox News, NPR, PBS, and CNN, will carry the address live beginning at 9 p.m. EST. It will also stream on the White House’s official website and YouTube channel.
What are your thoughts on Trump’s 2026 State of the Union? Drop your reaction in the comments below and stay with us as we bring you live updates throughout the night.
