Donald Trump’s latest State of the Union address has drawn attention for its television audience numbers. A new report indicates that viewership declined compared to his previous speech to Congress, marking a noticeable shift in turnout year over year.
Donald Trump’s SOTU address reportedly saw decline in viewership
An estimated 32.6 million people watched President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address this week, according to Nielsen. That figure marks a decline of four million viewers from his speech to Congress last year and the smallest audience he has received for the annual message. Fifteen different television networks aired the address. Nielsen described it as the longest televised State of the Union address delivered by any president.
During his first term, Trump drew at least 37.1 million viewers for each of his four addresses. From 2017 through 2019, he attracted more than 40 million viewers. His first address reached a peak of 47.7 million viewers. This week’s audience was comparable to former President Joe Biden’s final State of the Union in 2024, which drew 32.2 million viewers. Of Tuesday night’s total audience, 23.6 million viewers were aged 55 and up.
Fox News Channel drew 9.1 million viewers for the address, the largest share among networks. ABC News followed with 5.1 million viewers, and no other network exceeded 3.6 million. The State of the Union remains one of the most-watched television events of the year, particularly among older audiences.
A CNN poll conducted by SSRS found that nearly two-thirds of speech-watchers had at least a somewhat positive reaction to the address, with 38% describing their response as very positive. The survey sample was about 13 percentage points more Republican than the general public. Prior to the speech, 54% said Trump’s policies would move the country in the right direction, rising to 64% afterward.
The poll found that 45% said Trump focused too little on the economy and cost of living, while 53% said he gave the issue the right amount of focus. Thirty-one percent expressed a lot of confidence in him to make the cost of living more affordable, 29% had some confidence, and 40% had none. Trump’s approval rating stood at 36% in a separate CNN poll conducted before the address.
