President Donald Trump’s speech to both chambers of Congress was the longest joint address from a president in recorded history, clocking in at one hour, 39 minutes and 32 seconds - obliterating the previous record.
Though he took office less than two months ago, Trump found a considerable amount to talk – and complain – about in his first joint address of his second term, from ranting about former president Joe Biden to attacking liberal ideology to boasting about his executive orders.
While not considered a formal State of the Union address, the president’s Tuesday speech blew past the previous joint address length record set by former president Bill Clinton at the 2000 State of the Union.
Clinton spoke for one hour, 28 minutes and 49 seconds at his seventh and final State of the Union, according to the American Presidency Project, which has tracked the length of presidential joint addresses since 1964.
But Trump managed to surpass that, potentially setting a precedent for his future State of the Union speeches.
During Tuesday’s address, Trump spoke about his swift efforts to implement his agenda in the United States through the use of executive orders. Although the president bragged about his accomplishments, most of the executive orders have resulted in legal challenges.
His efforts to curtail immigration through ending birthright citizenship and effectively ending refugee programs have been blocked by judges. Other immigration efforts are pending in court as well.
Trump and billionaire Elon Musk’s efforts to drastically reduce the federal workforce through buyouts, layoffs, firings and placing many employees on administrative leave have had mixed success.
Additionally, their efforts to restructure the government and implement the Department of Government Efficiency are facing lawsuits. So far, federal judges have blocked DOGE’s access to several sensitive databases.
The president also used his joint address to complain about the previous administration and Democrats' efforts to push their own agenda. He blamed the Biden administration for high inflation caused by the pandemic, an influx of migrants and egg prices that have gone up under Trump’s administration.
One of Trump’s signature moves in speeches is to attack his political opponents and whoever he deems an enemy.
Trump is known to make long-winded speeches. During his presidential campaign, his rally speeches often lasted an average of 82 minutes, according to an analysis by the New York Times. His inaugural address in January was double the length of his inaugural speech when he took office in 2016.
Even during his first presidential term, the average length of Trump’s joint addresses was one hour and 20 minutes – longer than any former president.
