What is a president State of the Union address?

The State of the Union Address (sometimes abbreviated to SOTU) is an annual message delivered by the president of the United States to the U.S. Congress near the beginning of each calendar year on the current condition of the nation.

Who was the first president to deliver the State of the Union in person?

Presidents George Washington and John Adams delivered their messages in person, but in 1801 Thomas Jefferson chose to send his in writing. That precedent held until Woodrow Wilson decided to deliver his message in person in 1913, a tradition that continues today.

How many State of the Union addresses have there been?

Image courtesy of Library of Congress On December 13, 1913, Woodrow Wilson gave the first in-person Annual Message since the 18th century. Including President Donald J. Trump’s 2020 address, there have been a total of 97 in-person Annual Messages/State of the Union Addresses.

Who was the first president to give a televised State of the Union?

Broadcast facts. 1923: Calvin Coolidge becomes the first president whose State of the Union address was broadcast over the radio; 1947: Harry Truman delivers the first televised State of the Union speech. 1965: Lyndon Johnson is the first president to make the televised address in the evening.

What’s in a State of the Union speech?

In that first speech, presidents lay out the goals for their administrations. The House of Representatives also has some interesting notes on the State of the Union — here are some of them:

What is the formal basis for the State of the Union?

The formal basis for the State of the Union Address is from the U.S. Constitution: The President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”