| 1951 State of the Union Address | |
| Time: | 1:00 p.m. EST |
| Venue: | House Chamber, United States Capitol |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates: | 38.8897°N -77.0089°W |
| Type: | State of the Union Address |
| Participants: | Harry S. Truman Alben W. Barkley Sam Rayburn |
| Blank1 Label: | Previous |
| Blank1 Data: | 1950 State of the Union Address |
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The 1951 State of the Union Address was given by Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States, on Monday, January 8, 1951, to the 82nd United States Congress in the chamber of the United States House of Representatives.[1] It was Truman's sixth State of the Union Address. Presiding over this joint session was House speaker Sam Rayburn, accompanied by Vice President Alben W. Barkley in his capacity as the president of the Senate.
Truman began his speech by discussing the ongoing Korean War:
After delivering a speech largely devoted to foreign policy, Truman concluded his message with these words:
This State of the Union saw a record-level of security personnel as soldiers with fixed bayonets surrounded the United States Capitol while Truman was speaking, and members of Congress were asked for identification in order to enter the premises.[2]
Republican Senator Robert A. Taft effectively gave a response to Truman's State of the Union Address during a speech to the National Press Club. Taft accused Truman of giving only "yes or no" choices on foreign policy.[3]