President Trump’s upcoming address to Congress, although resembling a State of the Union speech, will not be one in the constitutional sense. The Constitution requires the president to periodically inform Congress about the state of the union, a practice dating back to George Washington in 1790. Over time, interpretations have varied, with some presidents opting for written addresses. Since Ronald Reagan’s term in 1981, new presidents have delivered prominent speeches shortly after taking office, which are not classified as State of the Union addresses. However, the American Presidency Project states that the impact remains significant regardless of the classification.
President Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday may resemble and sound like a State of the Union address; however, it will not be categorized as one — at least not in a formal sense.
According to the Constitution, the president is required to “from time to time” “provide to the Congress information about the state of the union.” George Washington famously delivered the inaugural address of this kind in 1790.
Since then, the interpretation of this requirement has varied widely. Many presidents, particularly during the 19th century, opted for delivering written addresses to Congress. Some did not give a yearly address, while others chose to speak at the conclusion of their terms.
However, beginning with former President Ronald Reagan in 1981, every president has presented notable speeches to Congress shortly after their inauguration, followed by annual addresses in subsequent years.
The speeches given early in the term are not recognized as State of the Union addresses, and the American Presidency Project at U.C. Santa Barbara denotes them with an asterisk in its compilation of presidential speeches to Congress.
The organization maintains that this differentiation is of little significance.
“The influence of such a speech on public, media, and congressional views of presidential authority and leadership should equate to that of an official State of the Union,” it stated.