President Donald Trump is set to deliver a national address on Thursday evening at 9 p.m. Eastern time, according to a brief post on Truth Social. The White House has not revealed the subject of the speech, nor confirmed whether it will be delivered from the Oval Office.
Unusual Third-Person Announcement
The announcement came in a post written in the third person, a departure from Trump's typical first-person style. It read: "President Trump will be making a Speech to the Nation on Thursday evening, at 9 P.M. Eastern. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" The post did not indicate it was authored by the president himself. When asked for details, the White House directed inquiries to the same post, offering no further explanation.
Previous Oval Office Addresses
Since returning to office last year, Trump has delivered two formal Oval Office addresses. The first was on September 9, focusing on restoring "law and order" after the stabbing of Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Zarutska, according to The Independent. The following day, he addressed the fatal shooting of GOP activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus.
Trump has also given two other prime-time speeches during his second term: one on his economic record in December and another in April providing an update on the conflict with Iran.
Rarity of Formal Addresses
Formal Oval Office addresses were rare during Trump's first term, with only three televised speeches from the office between 2017 and 2021. One notable address was his March 2020 speech on the Covid-19 pandemic, which drew criticism. Before the broadcast, Trump was caught on a live microphone saying, "Ah f***. Uh oh. I got a pen mark," and asking for a wipe or "white stuff" to hide the stain. During the speech, he mistakenly suggested all cargo from Europe would be barred for a month; officials later clarified he meant travel restrictions.
