WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 06: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks in the Oval Office at the White House on October 06, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump and other cabinet secretaries spoke on an executive order that will increase the development and production of Alaska’s natural resources. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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President Donald Trump is set to deliver a prime-time address to the nation on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Here’s everything to know about what time the speech begins, how to watch it and what the White House has revealed about it so far.
On Tuesday afternoon, the president announced via Truth Social that he will speak live from the White House. According to CBS News, the address will be delivered from the Diplomatic Reception Room rather than the Oval Office.
“My Fellow Americans: I will be giving an ADDRESS TO THE NATION tomorrow night, LIVE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE, at 9 P.M. EST.,” Trump wrote. “I look forward to ‘seeing’ you then. It has been a great year for our Country, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News that the president plans to highlight his “historic accomplishments over the past year” and may preview upcoming policy priorities for 2026.
“It’s going to be a really good speech,” Leavitt also told reporters, per ABC News. “I was just in the Oval Office with the president discussing it. He’s going to talk a lot about the accomplishments over the past 11 months, all that he’s done to bring our country back to greatness and all he continues to plan to do to continue delivering for the American people over the next three years.”
Trump’s most recent national address aired on Nov. 26, following the shooting of two members of the West Virginia National Guard in Washington, D.C. He also delivered remarks on Sept. 10 after the killing of right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk and on Sept. 9 following the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. Earlier this year, Trump spoke before a joint session Congress on March 4.
What Time Is President Trump’s Address To The Nation Tonight?
WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 12: U.S. President Donald Trump takes questions after signing a series of bills related to California’s vehicle emissions standards during an event in the East Room of the White House on June 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. Members of Congress passed the bills using the Congressional Review Act and the effect would largely revoke the emissions standards enacted by the state of California. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
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President Trump’s prime-time address to the nation will begin at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025.
How To Watch Trump’s Address To The Nation Live
President Trump’s address to the nation on Wednesday, Dec. 17, will be broadcast live on major news networks, including CBS, ABC, NBC, CNN, Fox News and MSNBC.
How To Watch Trump’s Speech For Free
If you don’t have cable, you can livestream Trump’s national address with a free trial to a live TV streaming service that carries major news networks, including YouTube TV, DirecTV Stream, Fubo and Hulu+ Live TV.
Forbes will also stream the address live below for free.
How Long Will Trump’s Address Tonight Last?
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 3: U.S. President Donald Trump takes a question from a reporter in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on March 3, 2025 in Washington, DC. Trump announced that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, one of the largest manufacturers of semiconductor chips, plans to invest $100 billion in new manufacturing facilities in the United States. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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It is unclear how long Trump’s address to the nation will last on Dec. 17. In March, the president set a record for the longest address to a joint session of Congress, speaking for one hour and 39 minutes.
Because the speech is being treated as a special report, major broadcast networks will air the address live, disrupting several scheduled finales on Wednesday night, including Survivor and The Floor.
CBS told viewers that the Survivor Season 49 finale, which begins at 8 p.m. ET and is slated to last three hours, will “resume where it left off immediately following the president’s address for Eastern and Central Time Zone viewers.”
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2025/12/17/what-time-is-trump-addressing-the-nation-tonight-heres-how-to-watch/
