How many people watched President Biden’s State of the Union Address?

Thursday night marked the annual State of the Union address, an annual, televised speech occurring in the early months of the year, in which the President of The United States addresses Congress. As expected, President Joe Biden’s address for 2024 was undoubtedly shaped by his re-election bid for the upcoming election in November of this year — covering hot-button electoral issues such as abortion rights, the war in Ukraine, and the U.S.-Mexico border.

What is the State of the Union Address?

According to an archives.gov description from the Clinton Administration, the State of the Union message is an event in which “the President talks about important issues facing Americans and offers his ideas on solving the nation’s problems, including suggestions for new laws and policies.”

Typically, the State of the Union will go into depth regarding the U.S. economy, foreign policy, and recent political and social headlines — all major issues that can make or break public opinion regarding a president’s administration. In effect, the address can be viewed as a president outlining their political outlook for the coming year, and defending such views and policies.

Act II, section 3 of the U.S. Constitution mandates that the president “shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

Traditionally, this address was given in written form, but Woodrow Wilson gave the first speech directly to Congress in 1913. By 1922, President Warren G. Harding’s speech was heard nationwide via the popularization of radio, and Harry Truman brought the address to television in 1947.

How many viewers watched the 2024 State of the Union speech?

According to a report from The Los Angeles Times, Joe Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address drew in 32 million viewers across 14 networks, a significant 18% jump from 27.3 million viewers the previous year. However, in an election year, perhaps the most defining election in modern U.S. history, this is perhaps unsurprising. The network that drew in the most viewership of the event was the conservative Fox News, providing 5.8 million of the total viewing figures.

However, viewership for State of the Union overall has decreased significantly. The four years of the Trump administration earned between 37.2-47.74 million viewers, with Barack Obama’s viewership ranging between 31.3-52.37 million, according to Statista. The most-watched State of the Union address, according to these records, is the 1993 address, which took place during Bill Clinton’s first year as president, which amassed 66.9 million viewers.