State of the Union: When And Where To Watch Donald Trump’s First Second-Term Speech LIVE? Here’s What To Expect As Democrats Signal Boycott

State of the Union Address: President Donald Trump is gearing up to deliver his State of the Union address on Tuesday, his first since beginning a second term.

He’s got a lot riding on this speech. Early voting is already underway for the Illinois primaries, and midterms are right around the corner. Trump’s hoping to convince skeptical Americans that his policies have actually made their lives better, that the US economy is stronger than it looks, and that they should stick with him and the Republicans come November.

When and where to watch Donald Trump’s State of the Union?

The mood across the country isn’t exactly warm. Recent polls show a lot of people just don’t trust the way Trump’s handled things during his first year back in office.

He’s expected to double down on his administration’s immigration crackdowns, his efforts to shrink the federal government, and his fight for those broad tariffs the Supreme Court just struck down last week.

All nine Supreme Court justices will be in the room when he speaks.

If you’re planning to tune in, here’s what you need to know.

Trump’s speech starts at 8 p.m. Central Time. Expect coverage to run until about 10 p.m. You can watch the address right here in the video player above, on the NBC Chicago streaming channel, or live on NBC 5.

What to expect from Trump’s State of the Union? 

Donald Trump’s main message: the country’s doing great, with more manufacturing and new jobs, never mind that a lot of Americans don’t feel that way. “It’s going to be a long speech because we have so much to talk about,” Trump said, promising plenty of talk about the economy.

He’ll probably aim for the Supreme Court’s decision against his tariffs and talk about how he plans to work around it without waiting for Congress or rattling the markets. 

Expect him to push for more military funding, tougher voter ID laws, and to defend some controversial immigration actions, especially after two American citizens were killed in incidents that sparked bipartisan criticism.

Jeff Shesol, who wrote speeches for President Clinton, points out that Trump can sound a bit more traditional in these big moments, but he still exaggerates a lot. 

“His job, for the sake of his party, is to show the silver lining,” Shesol said. “But if he’s going to insist that the silver lining is gold, no one’s buying it. That’s a tough sell on the campaign trail.”

Guests at State of the Union

Not everyone’s coming. The U.S. Women’s Hockey Team turned down Trump’s invitation to the speech.

Michael Waldman, another of Clinton’s former speechwriters, says second-term presidents always face the same problem, they want to say, “Look how great I’ve done! Why don’t you love me?”

The State of the Union used to be about bringing the country together and reviewing what’s been accomplished. These days, it’s more like campaign season on live TV. 

Democrats plan to boycott the speech

At least 32 Democratic lawmakers, including several from Illinois, say they’re skipping Trump’s address this year. Rep.

Delia Ramirez was among the first to announce she’d stay away; she’ll be at MoveOn’s “People’s State of the Union” on the National Mall instead.

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