(NEW YORK – Feb. 17, 2026) – MS NOW will feature special primetime coverage and real-time analysis of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address and the Democratic response on Tuesday, Feb. 24.
- MS NOW’s live coverage of President Trump’s State of the Union address and the Democratic Party’s response will begin at 7 p.m. Rachel Maddow will lead coverage and be 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.
- At 12 a.m. ET, Sanders Townsend, Steele, and Menendez will continue special coverage, offering analysis of the biggest moments from President Trump’s remarks and the Democratic response.
- Throughout the evening, Velshi will join to break down the State of the Union by the numbers, diving into current polling, the state of the economy, and how the country is feeling.
- MS NOW reporters will join the special coverage throughout the day and evening with the latest updates, including Senior National and Political Reporter Jacob Soboroff from Minnesota, where he’ll watch the address alongside a group of local voters. Host of Way Too Early and Senior Capitol Hill Reporter Ali Vitali and Senior White House Reporter Vaughn Hillyard will report from inside the Capitol, with Vitali joining from inside the House of Representatives Chamber. White House Reporter Laura Barrón-López will be live from the White House.
- MS NOW Political Analyst Claire McCaskill and MS NOW Senior Contributing Editor Michele Norris will also join coverage throughout the day to provide in-depth analysis.
- On Tuesday morning, Morning Joe and Way Too Early with Ali Vitali will preview the evening’s State of the Union address. The following morning, Joe Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski, and Willie Geist will give their post-speech analysis and reaction on Morning Joe.
- The just-announced Crooked on MS NOW will launch on MS NOW on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 9 p.m. The first episode will feature the best moments from Pod Save America and more, including analysis of the 2026 State of the Union.
- Throughout President Trump’s address and the following Democratic response, Sanders Townsend and Eugene Daniels will host a SOTU Watch Party on MS NOW’s YouTube and TikTok, featuring special guests for analysis and reaction throughout the night.
- Sanders Townsend and Daniels will also focus on Tuesday evening’s events on their new podcast, MS NOW Presents: Clock It, out Thursday morning.
- ms.now will be home to a robust live blog with the latest news and analysis out of the State of the Union, featuring MS NOW’s lineup of reporters, opinion writers, and hosts throughout the evening, including congressional reporters Kevin Frey and Mychael Schnell, White House reporters Akayla Gardner and Jake Traylor, and political reporter Julia Jester.
- Plus, MS NOW’s newsletter dedicated to President Trump’s second-term agenda, Project 47, will publish a special SOTU edition before the address.
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Press Contact
Olivia.Sieff@ms.now
