In his speech, President Trump discussed a variety of topics, such as the economy, healthcare, education, global affairs, and national security. Photo by Ike Hayman.
President Donald Trump greets Vice President Michael Pence and U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi before delivering his third State of the Union address. Photo by Ike Hayman.
Members of Congress, Cabinet officials, members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other distinguished guests gathered to hear President Donald Trump’s third State of the Union address. Photo by Franmarie Metzler.
The President discussed the economy, healthcare, and other topics
President Donald Trump delivered his third State of the Union Address before a joint session of Congress on February 4, 2020. Members of the United States House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, along with hundreds of distinguished guests, attended the nationally televised address in the House chamber.
“The vision I will lay out this evening demonstrates how we are building the world's most prosperous and inclusive society,” the President said during his opening remarks. “One where every citizen can join in America's unparalleled success and where every community can take part in America's extraordinary rise.”
In his speech, President Trump discussed a variety of topics, such as the economy, healthcare, education, global affairs, and national security. He also mentioned a variety of distinguished guests who were in the audience during his speech, such as Janiyah Davis, a fourth-grader from Philadelphia who the President awarded with a scholastic scholarship that evening.
"America is a land of heroes. This is a place where greatness is born, where destinies are forged, and where legends come to life," the President said as he concluded his speech. "America is the place where anything can happen. America is the place where anyone can rise. And here, on this land, on this soil, on this continent, the most incredible dreams come true.”
While this is the fourth time President Trump has addressed a joint session of Congress, this is his third State of the Union Address. There is typically no State of the Union Address by a new president in their first year in office. President John F. Kennedy is the only exception, as he delivered a State of the Union Address during his first year in office in 1961.
Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution requires the President to “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.” While the Constitution does not specify how often such an address should be given, presidents traditionally deliver the State of the Union Address once a year.
Find out more about the history of the State of the Union Address from the House Historian’s website.