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State of the Union 2022: TV Ratings Revealed for President Biden’s First Address

Millions of Americans tuned in for Joe Biden’s first State of the Union address.

In fact, the audience exceeded 38.2 million after the numbers were counted from all the networks that telecast the hour-long speech Biden gave in front of a joint session of Congress.

Although this is Biden’s second year in office, it was his first State of the Union. A president in his first year of office can’t call a speech a State of the Union. So what Biden gave last year was merely a speech to Congress,

How did his audience stack up to past presidential addresses? Donald Trump’s last State of the Union speech in 2020 drew an audience of 37 million. Remember that address from Feb. 4? Congress had recently impeached Trump. So his relationship with the House was especially frayed. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi tore up a copy of Trump’s speech after he finished giving it. Trump also honored Rush Limbaugh with the Medal of Freedom as part of the speech.

In an interesting twist, Fox News, with its conservative audience, drew the most viewers with 7.21 million. ABC, with 6.3 million, bested the broadcast networks.

There Was Some State of the Union Heckling

There were some similar State of the Union fireworks Tuesday night. Representatives Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Greene, both Republicans, heckled Biden several times during the speech.

Biden’s address to Congress a year ago had an audience of 27 million.

So how do these numbers stack up to first State of the Union addresses by other presidents? According to the Hollywood Reporter, Bill Clinton’s initial State of the Union in 1994 drew 45.8 million viewers; George W. Bush’s in 2002 was viewed by 51.77 million. More than 48 million tuned into to see Barack Obama’s first in 2010. Trump’s initial State of the Union in 2018 drew 45.55 million.

The Hollywood Reporter also pointed out the audiences of other speeches. Biden’s address totaled a bigger audience than several of Obama’s State of the Union speeches in his second term. It also bested Clinton’s final address in 2000 (31.48 million) and Bush’s in 2008 (37.52 million).

Biden opened the State of the Union by focusing on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. He announced that he’s banning Russian planes from U.S. airspace as another sanction against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The sanction was in line with airspace bans announced by Canada and the European Union. Russia retaliated against those sanctions by implementing its own ban of aircraft. The airspace ban will impact cargo flights. About 25 percent of cargo flights in North America fly over Russia to get to Asia.

The airspace ban was one of several the United States has enforced against Russia.

Biden said of Russia and its president Vladimir Putin.

“Throughout our history, we’ve learned this lesson – when dictators do not pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos,” Biden said. “They keep moving. And, the costs and threats to America and the world keep rising.”