What to expect from the 2020 State of the Union

President Trump is scheduled to deliver his 2020 State of the Union address to Congress and the nation on February 4—the day after the Iowa caucus and in the midst of his impeachment trial in the Senate. That morning, Governance Studies at Brookings convened a panel of policy experts to discuss what they hope to hear and what they expect to hear from the president in this historic speech.

Panelists discussed which accomplishments and policy priorities the president is likely to highlight—with an emphasis on how they might align with the priorities of his political base and with American voters. Will he propose new health care, immigration, or education policies? Will he advocate for military action against Iran or commit to withdrawing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan? Will he call for an end to his legal troubles, as Nixon did, or ignore them as Clinton did? And lastly, how will the speech play out against the backdrop of the 2020 election?