SOTU Coverage: The News Outlets Have Plans

The 2026 State of the Union address by President Donald Trump is scheduled for Tuesday, February 24, at 9 p.m. ET, with the Democratic response delivered by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger immediately following. Major broadcast and cable news networks plan extensive live coverage, including pre-address analysis, the speech itself, post-address breakdowns, and streaming options across multiple platforms. Below is a breakdown of announced plans for the specified outlets, based on their press releases and coverage announcements.

🔎FOX News

FOX News Channel's coverage begins at 8:50 p.m. ET, anchored by Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum, with analysis from Dana Perino, Harold Ford Jr., Laura Ingraham, Brit Hume, and Larry Kudlow. Senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich and congressional correspondent Bill Melugin will report live from the White House and Capitol, respectively. Post-address, Sean Hannity hosts a special edition of Hannity at 11 p.m. ET live from the Capitol, followed by FOX News @ Night with Trace Gallagher from midnight to 1 a.m. ET. FOX Business Network will simulcast the coverage starting at 9 p.m. ET. 

On the FOX broadcast network, Shannon Bream anchors from 9 p.m. ET, with reporting from Peter Doocy and Chad Pergram, joined by Kevin Walling and John Ashbrook. Streaming is available on FOX Nation for subscribers, with FOX News Digital offering a live blog, chatroom, and stream via FOX One. FOX News Audio includes live radio coverage starting at 8 p.m. ET on FOX News Radio, with podcasts like The FOX News Rundown providing pre- and post-analysis.

🔎CNN

CNN's live coverage starts at 8 p.m. ET, led by Jake Tapper anchoring from Washington and Anderson Cooper from New York City. They will be joined by Kaitlan Collins, Kasie Hunt, Abby Phillip, John King, and other political experts for analysis. Dana Bash and Manu Raju report from the Capitol, Kristen Holmes from the White House, David Chalian presents instant poll results, and Daniel Dale provides real-time fact-checks. The network emphasizes political context and expert breakdowns during and after the address and Democratic response.

MS NOW coverage kicks off at 7 p.m. ET, anchored by Rachel Maddow from New York, joined by Nicolle Wallace, Ari Melber, Chris Hayes, Lawrence O’Donnell, Stephanie Ruhle, Jen Psaki, Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez, and Ali Velshi. Reporters including Jacob Soboroff, Ali Vitali, Vaughn Hillyard, and Laura Barron-Lopez will contribute from locations like Minnesota and the Capitol. The broadcast includes segments breaking down the address by key metrics such as polling, the economy, and national sentiment. At midnight ET, Symone Sanders Townsend, Michael Steele, and Alicia Menendez lead continued special coverage from Washington, D.C., analyzing major moments from Trump's remarks and the Democratic response. MSNOW.com will feature a live blog with updates from columnists and experts.

🔎NBC

NBC News begins streaming coverage on NBC News NOW at 4 p.m. ET with Meet the Press NOW anchored by Kristen Welker, followed by Hallie Jackson NOW from 5-7 p.m. ET. A special edition of NBC Nightly News airs at 6:30 p.m. ET anchored by Tom Llamas, with Top Story with Tom Llamas at 7-8 p.m. ET. Hallie Jackson anchors as the president arrives at the Capitol at 8 p.m. ET, and Tom Llamas leads the main network coverage of the address and response at 9 p.m. ET. 

Contributors include Peter Alexander, Steve Kornacki (data analysis on midterms and public support), Ryan Nobles, Julie Tsirkin, Sahil Kapur, Scott Wong, Melanie Zanona, Jon Allen, Garrett Haake, Gabe Gutierrez, and Monica Alba. Post-speech analysis at 11 p.m. ET is anchored by Kristen Welker on NBC News NOW, featuring political reporters, analysts, and bipartisan voices. 

Digital coverage on NBCNews.com and the app includes live video, real-time updates, fact-checking, and a topic tracker; subscribers get ad-free access to insights from Kornacki, Welker, and Jackson.

🔎CBS

CBS News coverage starts at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT) on YouTube and streaming platforms, with the speech airing at 9 p.m. ET on the CBS Television Network and YouTube. The broadcast includes the address, Democratic response, and post-analysis, though specific anchors and analysts have not been detailed in announcements.

🔎ABC

ABC's coverage airs from 9-11 p.m. ET, led by David Muir from Washington, D.C., with the political team including Linsey Davis, Mary Bruce, Martha Raddatz, Jonathan Karl, Pierre Thomas, Rachel Scott, and Jay O’Brien. Contributors Donna Brazile, Chris Christie, and Kevin McCarthy provide analysis. A special World News Tonight airs at 6:30 p.m. ET from D.C., with pre- and post-coverage on Good Morning America, GMA3, and This Week. ABC News Live streams comprehensive coverage on Feb. 23-24, with Davis anchoring Prime at 7 p.m. ET both days; Kyra Phillips leads a pre-show at 8 p.m. ET on Feb. 24, and Davis anchors the post-show from 11 p.m. to midnight. Streaming is available on Disney+, Hulu, and ABC News Live. 

ABC News Radio offers live coverage anchored by Steven Portnoy with Karen Travers, plus hourly "Status Reports." Digital includes a live blog with updates and analysis; ABC NewsOne provides station feeds with Travers, Christiane Cordero, and Averi Harper.

🔎Other Outlets

Additional networks like PBS plan live coverage starting at 9 p.m. ET, anchored by Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett, with reporting from Lisa Desjardins and Liz Landers, and analysis from Amy Walter, Kevin Madden, Faiz Shakir, and Tiffany Smiley. NewsNation offers a three-hour special at 9 p.m. ET anchored by Leland Vittert, with lead-ins from 6-8 p.m. ET and analysis from Chris Stirewalt, Katie Pavlich, and others. C-SPAN begins at 7 p.m. ET with Peter Slen hosting, transitioning to Statuary Hall post-address anchored by John McArdle. Univision (N+) starts at 8 p.m. ET with Ilia Calderón and Enrique Acevedo from the Capitol, including a preview on ViX. Telemundo coverage begins at 8:50 p.m. ET led by Julio Vaqueiro, with fact-checks and Latino voter reactions.