
President Joe Biden delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress at the Capitol, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Washington, as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris look on.
Americans will be fixed on President Joe Biden Tuesday night as he delivers his second State of the Union Address, where he will talk about the economy and rising tensions with China.
Speaking in the House before a sharply divided Congress, Biden will seek to reassure the Americans about the state of the nation.
Biden is expected to confront the “economic anxiety” many Americans face, said Brian Reese, director of the National Economic Council.
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So, how long will it take Biden to deliver his optimistic message?
Last year, Biden unveiled his “unity agenda” during his first SOTU address on March 1, which that lasted one hour, one minute and 50 seconds. In this year’s speech, Biden is expected to roll out new steps to tackle some of the same pillars from his 2022 address – illegal drugs, helping veterans and cancer patients, and increasing access to mental health care.
Will his second SOTU address be shorter or longer than the first?
Former presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, on average, delivered longer SOTU addresses than other presidents. Trump's speeches averaged more than an hour and 20 minutes in length, while Clinton averaged an hour and 14 minutes, according to UC Santa Barbara's The American Presidency Project.
Meanwhile, addresses given by ex-presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter averaged no longer than 45 minutes.
Here’s a look at the top 10 longest and shortest SOTU addresses given by U.S. presidents within the last 60 years.
The Top 10 Longest SOTU Addresses
President | Date | Length (in Minutes) |
William J. Clinton | January 27, 2000 | 1:28:49 |
William J. Clinton | January 24, 1995 | 1:24:58 |
Donald J. Trump | February 5, 2019 | 1:22:25 |
Donald J. Trump | January 30, 2018 | 1:20:32 |
William J. Clinton | January 19, 1999 | 1:18:40 |
Donald J. Trump | February 4, 2020 | 1:18:04 |
William J. Clinton | January 27, 1998 | 1:16:43 |
Lyndon B. Johnson | January 10, 1967 | 1:11:16 |
Barack Obama | January 27, 2010 | 1:09:20 |
William J. Clinton | January 23, 1996 | 1:06:41 |
The Top 10 Shortest SOTU Addresses
President | Date | Length (in Minutes) |
Richard Nixon | January 20, 1972 | 0:28:55 |
Ronald Reagan | February 4, 1986 | 0:31:00~ |
Jimmy Carter | January 21, 1980 | 0:32:04 |
Jimmy Carter | January 25, 1979 | 0:32:32 |
Richard Nixon | January 22, 1971 | 0:33:17 |
Ronald Reagan | January 27, 1987 | 0:34:39 |
George Bush | January 31, 1990 | 0:35:43 |
Richard Nixon | January 22, 1970 | 0:36:40 |
Ronald Reagan | January 26, 1982 | 0:40:14 |
Lyndon B. Johnson | January 8, 1964 | 0:40:50 |