President Donald Trump is scheduled to address a joint session of Congress on March 4, marking the first such speech of his second term in office. This event, while resembling the traditional State of the Union address in purpose, will not officially carry that title due to the proximity of his recent election. The State of the Union is a constitutionally mandated annual report given by the president to Congress, offering insights into the country’s current state and future plans. Despite the historical significance of this address, the tradition was interrupted after Thomas Jefferson’s decision to provide written reports instead of oral addresses.

Various modern presidents, including Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Obama, and Trump, have delivered similar speeches early in their terms that mirrored the State of the Union’s objectives, albeit without the formal designation. The American Presidency Project notes that the impact and purpose of these speeches remain consistent with official State of the Union addresses, even if they are not technically classified as such. Trump’s forthcoming address falls in line with this trend of new presidents delivering unofficial State of the Union-like speeches, continuing a practice that has been observed since Reagan’s presidency in 1981.