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Thursday night marked the annual State of the Union address, a televised event in which the President of the United States addresses Congress, shaping his message around key electoral issues amidst his bid for re-election in November. President Joe Biden’s 2024 address covered a range of topics, including abortion rights, the conflict in Ukraine, and immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Described by the Clinton Administration as an opportunity for the President to discuss critical issues facing the nation and propose solutions, the State of the Union typically delves into areas such as the economy, foreign policy, and recent political and social developments. It serves as a platform for the President to outline their agenda for the coming year and defend their policies and viewpoints.
Mandated by the U.S. Constitution, the State of the Union address was traditionally conveyed in written form until Woodrow Wilson delivered the first speech directly to Congress in 1913. The advent of radio in the 1920s brought the address to a national audience, with Harry Truman further expanding its reach through television in 1947.
The viewership for Biden’s 2024 State of the Union address saw a notable increase, drawing in 32 million viewers across 14 networks, an 18% rise from the previous year. Notably, conservative-leaning Fox News attracted the highest viewership, contributing 5.8 million viewers to the total count.
However, overall viewership for the State of the Union has declined significantly over the years. During the Trump administration, viewership ranged from 37.2 to 47.74 million, while Barack Obama’s addresses garnered between 31.3 and 52.37 million viewers, according to Statista. The most-watched State of the Union address on record occurred in 1993, during Bill Clinton’s first year in office, with a staggering 66.9 million viewers tuning in.