How to Watch the 2026 State of the Union Address Online Free

· Rolling Stone

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Amid slumping approval ratings and a partial government shutdown, President Donald Trump will deliver his first official State of the Union address of his second term to a joint session of Congress.

The speech is slated to begin at 9 p.m. ET. on Tuesday and will air on major networks like ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS. Cable channels like CNN, MS NOW, and Fox News will also carry the speech and offer analysis.

At a Glance: How to Watch the State of the Union

If you don’t have cable, you can stream the speech and the various networks’ coverage with a free trial to a live streaming service like DirecTV, Fubo, or Hulu + Live TV. DirecTV offers a five-day free trial that you can use to livestream President Trump’s State of the Union address online for free. The speech will also be available to stream online on YouTube.

GET: DIRECTV STREAM 5-DAY FREE TRIAL

The State of the Union is typically delivered in January or February, and often serves as an opportunity for the president to promote their accomplishments in office. Trump’s rambling speech last year was not an official State of the Union, but rather a joint address to Congress. Presidents don’t always deliver joint addresses in their first year in office, instead using the inaugural address to set their agenda.

Notably, Trump will be face-to-face with the Supreme Court, whom he lashed out against after they struck down his signature tariff agenda. Trump appointees Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch joined Chief Justice Roberts and the court’s liberal wing in voting against the tariffs, with the court noting that the power to impose tariffs lies with Congress. The speech also comes as tensions rise with Iran, a subject he’s expected to discuss in his address.

Some Democrats will boycott the speech, including California Senator Adam Schiff, Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey, Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, and Minnesota Senator Tina Smith, who will all instead appear at an event dubbed the “People’s State of the Union” at the National Mall.

Meanwhile, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger will give the official Democratic response following the speech.

Watch President Trump’s 2026 State of the Union address online free with DirecTV here.