The Hitchhiker’s Guide to President Trump’s speech to Congress tonight
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Tonight’s speech is not technically a “State of the Union” address, as President Trump has only been in office for a few weeks. Interestingly, the Constitution does not mandate a speech, but Article II, Section 3 does require the President to provide Congress with information on the state of the union. The tradition of a presidential address dates back to George Washington, but it was discontinued by Thomas Jefferson due to its resemblance to a speech from the crown.
President Woodrow Wilson revived the practice in the early 20th century, and President Calvin Coolidge was the first to deliver the address over the radio in 1923. The tradition gained momentum in the 1930s with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chats” and continued with President Harry Truman’s televised address in 1947.
President Lyndon Baines Johnson moved the speech to prime time in 1965, and President Bill Clinton began streaming his speeches online in the 1990s. The State of the Union address often includes memorable moments, such as when President Reagan honored hero Lenny Skutnik in 1982 or when Rep. Joe Wilson heckled President Obama in 2009.
In more recent years, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made headlines by ripping up President Trump’s speech in 2020, and a disruption during President Biden’s address last year led to an arrest that was later dropped.
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