State of the Union address: How to stream online or watch on TV
President Trump is hours away from delivering his second State of the Union address Tuesday. The address to Congress comes a week after the speech was initially scheduled on January 29. Mr. Trump agreed to postpone the speech at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's request, until after the partial government shutdown was over. The 35-day shutdown ended Jan. 25.
The annual State of the Union address by the president is considered a Washington institution. The president has appeared before a joint session of Congress every year since 1913, providing a constitutionally-mandated debrief on the country's current political and economic status. Article II of the Constitution requires the president to "give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."
What time does the State of the Union start?
President Trump is set to enter the House Chamber at 9:01 p.m. ET. He will be announced by the Sergeant at Arms, Paul D. Irving and make his way to the podium to deliver the State of the Union address.
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019
- Start time: 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT
- Location: United States Capitol, chamber of the House of Representatives
- Coverage starts: CBSN coverage is live now.
- Follow: CBS News State of the Union live blog
What channel is the State of the Union on?
Nearly every major news outlet will have the State of the Union live. CBS will broadcast a Special Report just before it starts. CBSN, the free 24-hour streaming news network from CBS News, is live from 5 p.m. through the Democratic rebuttal and analysis. You can find CBSN on all these mobile devices and services.
- State of the Union TV Station: Find your local CBS station
Where can I stream the State of the Union online without cable?
CBSN has live coverage of the State of the Union. Analysis begins at 5 p.m. ET with a special edition of Red & Blue within continued coverage and analysis through the president's address, Democratic response and closing analysis.
CBSN is a free, online streaming video news channel operated by CBS News and CBS Interactive. It's available on all mobile devices, many OTT devices and most smart TVs.
- Live stream: Online on CBSN, the free news streaming service from CBS News
- FuboTV: Stream live TV with fuboTV and get a free one-week trial
Who is giving the State of the Union rebuttal for the Democrats?
Former Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams will be giving the Democratic rebuttal to Mr. Trump's address. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra will give the Democratic response in Spanish.
What is the State of the Union?
Article II of the Constitution requires the president to "give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." The language of the State of the Union clause is unspecific, saying only that the president must give the address "from time to time," but historically, presidents have delivered the speech at the beginning of the year.
Although Presidents George Washington and John Adams delivered their addresses to Congress in person, President Thomas Jefferson chose to write the address in a letter to Congress. He suggested he was doing Congress a favor by sending it to them in writing, showing "principal regard" because it was more convenient for lawmakers, saved time, and spared them "the embarrassment of immediate answers on subjects not fully before them."
Has the State of the Union been postponed before?
Mr. Trump's address will be only the second State of the Union speech to be postponed. President Ronald Reagan postponed the speech in 1986 by a week after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.