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State of the Union 2019: Start time, TV channels, streaming and more for Donald Trump’s speech

President Trump will give his second State of the Union address tonight, delayed a week after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi refused to allow him to speak before Congress during a partial government shutdown that lasted a record 35 days.

President Donald Trump delivers his first State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2018. Trump will deliver his second State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019.
President Donald Trump delivers his first State of the Union address on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2018. Trump will deliver his second State of the Union address on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2019.Read moreJ. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo / J. Scott Applewhite / AP Photo

President Donald Trump will give his second State of the Union address Tuesday night, delayed a week after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi refused to allow him to speak before Congress during the partial government shutdown that lasted a record 35 days.

Tonight’s speech — expected to focus on the economy, the military, and immigration — will feature Pelosi seated prominently behind the president as the clock races toward a Feb. 15 funding deadline that could plunge the country into yet another shutdown.

Despite his combative style and heated rhetoric, Trump will call for “unity” during his speech and will pledge to work with Democrats on immigration and other issues, according to an excerpt released by the White House.

“In this State of the Union, the president is calling for an end to resistance and retribution politics, and calling for cooperation and compromise," White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said Monday on Fox News. “He really wants to unify the nation as its commander-in-chief and its president — the leader of the nation, not the leader of a political party.”

Of note from a television perspective is the presence of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who will offer his analysis of the speech on ABC. Christie has made numerous television appearances in recent weeks promoting his new book that praises Trump while bashing the president’s son-in-law, “the kid” Jared Kushner. He also wrote that despite his fondness for the president, Trump is surrounded by “amateurs, grifters, weaklings, convicted and unconvicted felons.”

The State of the Union will air on all major broadcast networks and cable news channels to an expected audience of 40 million to 45 million viewers, and will also be streamed live online. Here’s what you need to know ahead of the address:

What time does the State of the Union start and end?

Trump is expected to begin his address live from the Capitol shortly after 9 p.m. Trump’s first State of the Union last year took 1 hour and 20 minutes, while his first speech to Congress in February 2017 lasted a little more than an hour.

The average length of Trump’s speeches to Congress is 1 hour and 10 minutes. Using that measure, Trump’s address should end around 10:10 p.m.

Who delivering the Democratic response?

Following Trump’s speech, Stacey Abrams of Georgia will deliver the Democratic response. Despite losing a tight gubernatorial election in 2018, Abrams will make history by becoming the first-ever African-American woman to give the formal response to a president’s address, according to research from House and Senate historians.

“I am honored to join the club of speakers who sought to give voice to the needs and dreams of our fellow Americans. May the force be with me,” Abrams wrote on Twitter Monday.

Abrams, who hinged her gubernatorial campaign on voting rights, refused to concede in the race to then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp, accusing Kemp of widespread voter suppression. Following the election, Abrams established Fair Fight Georgia, which has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Georgia and aired a commercial during the Super Bowl.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who has filed 45 lawsuits against the Trump administration, will deliver the response in Spanish.

How are the networks covering the State of the Union?

ABC

  1. Start time: 9 p.m.

  2. Anchor: Chief anchor George Stephanopoulos

  3. Analysis: World News Tonight anchor David Muir, chief global affairs correspondent and This Week co-anchor Martha Raddatz, special correspondent Matthew Dowd, political analyst Cokie Roberts, The View co-host Meghan McCain, and contributors Donna Brazile and Chris Christie

  4. Streaming: Live coverage on ABCNews.com at 8:30 p.m., anchored by senior Washington reporter Devin Dwyer

  5. Local affiliate: 6ABC (Channel 6)

CBS

  1. Start time: 9 p.m.

  2. Anchor: CBS Evening News anchor Jeff Glor

  3. Analysis: Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan, chief congressional correspondent Nancy Cordes, chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett, correspondent Nikole Killion, and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe

  4. Streaming: Live coverage on CBSN starting at 5 p.m., anchored by CBS Weekend News anchor and Red & Blue co-host Elaine Quijano

  5. Local affiliate: CBS3 (Channel 3)

FOX

  1. Start time: 9 p.m.

  2. Anchor: Fox News chief news anchor Shepard Smith

  3. Analysis: RealClearPolitics columnist A.B. Stoddard

  4. Streaming: Live coverage on FoxNews.com at 9 p.m.

  5. Local affiliate: FOX 29 (Channel 29)

NBC

  1. Start time: 9 p.m.

  2. Anchor: NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt

  3. Analysis: Today co-anchor and chief legal analyst Savannah Guthrie and Meet the Press moderator and political director Chuck Todd

  4. Streaming: Live coverage on MSNBC.com at 8 p.m. and NBCNews.com at 9 p.m.

  5. Local affiliate: NBC10 (Channel 10)

PBS

  1. Start time: 9 p.m.

  2. Anchor: PBS NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff

  3. Analysis: Syndicated columnist Mark Shields, Cook Political Report national editor Amy Walter, Ethics and Public Policy Center senior fellow Peter Wehner, MoveOn senior adviser and national spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre, radio host and American Greatness editor Chris Buskirk, and Washington Post national political reporter and Washington Week moderator Robert Costa

  4. Streaming: Live coverage on PBS’s YouTube and Ustream accounts

  5. Local affiliate: WHYY-TV (Channel 12)

How are the cable networks covering the State of the Union?

C-SPAN

  1. Start time: 8 p.m.

  2. Anchors: Greta Brawner and Peter Slen.

  3. Analysis: Following the speech and the Democratic response, Brawner and Slen will take viewers' phone calls and read opinions from Twitter and Facebook.

  4. Streaming: Live coverage on C-SPAN.org

CNN

  1. Start time: 7 p.m.

  2. Anchors: The Situation Room’s Wolf Blitzer, The Lead’s Jake Tapper, Anderson Cooper 360′s Anderson Cooper, and political correspondent Dana Bash

  3. Streaming: Live coverage on CNN.com and across mobile devices through the CNN app

Fox Business

  1. Start time: 8 p.m.

  2. Anchor: Cavuto: Coast to Coast anchor Neil Cavuto

  3. Analysis: Trish Regan Primetime host Trish Regan, Rep. Mark Walker (R., N.C.), former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Nuveen Chief Equity strategist Bob Doll, and former New Mexico Gov Bill Richardson

  4. Streaming: Live coverage on FoxBusiness.com at 8 p.m.

Fox News

  1. Start time: 8:55 p.m.

  2. Anchors: Special Report anchor Bret Baier and The Story anchor Martha MacCallum

  3. Analysis: FOX News Sunday anchor Chris Wallace, The Ingraham Angle host Laura Ingraham, The Daily Briefing host Dana Perino, The Five co-host Juan Williams, and senior political analyst Brit Hume

  4. Streaming: Live coverage on FoxNews.com at 8:55 p.m.

MSNBC

  1. Start time: 8 p.m.

  2. Anchor: The Rachel Maddow Show host Rachel Maddow and The 11th Hour anchor Brian Williams

  3. Analysis: Deadline: White House host Nicolle Wallace, The Beat host Ari Melber, Hardball host Chris Matthews, All In host Chris Hayes, The Last Word host Lawrence O’Donnell, AM Joy host Joy Reid, and Washington Post columnist, and NBC News and MSNBC contributor Eugene Robinson.

  4. Streaming: Live coverage on MSNBC.com