United States Oval Office Address Explained

An Oval Office address is a type of speech made from a president of the United States, usually in the Oval Office at the White House. It is considered among the most solemn settings for an address made by a leader, and is most often delivered to announce a major new policy initiative, on the occasion of a leader's departure from office, or during times of national emergency (natural disaster, war, etc.).^[1]

On occasions of national interest, U.S. presidents may decide to speak to the American people directly. Often in addresses to the nation, the president speaks directly into the camera and begins with the phrase, "My fellow Americans...".

Use of the Oval Office

Presidents have used addresses in the Oval Office of the White House as a way to directly communicate with the American people. It is considered to be a major address and it functions as a way to move public opinion by having a direct connection with the president of the United States (compare Bully pulpit).^[2] Presidential historian Robert Dallek stated, “The Oval Office invokes the center of the presidential authority. That's the president's office, that's where he supposedly makes decisions, where he governs.”^[3] As the formal executive office of the president, the Oval Office sets the tone for any address to the American people. It is also where the president will communicate national news such as terrorist attacks, and each president usually gives their farewell speech in the Oval Office.

The first Oval Office address was delivered to the nation by President Herbert Hoover, who spoke on peace efforts and arms reduction throughout the world.^[4] President Dwight D. Eisenhower used the format in 1957 to inform the United States of his decision to send troops to Little Rock to enforce school desegregation.^[5] Being only the second ever televised address directly from the president's office, Eisenhower had to explain as much to the audience, saying, "in speaking from the house of Lincoln, of Jackson, of Wilson, my words would better convey both the sadness I feel today in the actions I feel compelled to make, and the firmness with which I intend to pursue this course."

Some previous addresses include John F. Kennedy's 1962 news of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Jimmy Carter's 1979 "Malaise" speech, Ronald Reagan's speech following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, George W. Bush's Address to the Nation on the evening of the 2001 September 11 terrorist attacks^[6] and Barack Obama's June 2010 speech addressing the issue of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.^[7]

Traditionally, the addresses are delivered with the president sitting at the Resolute desk speaking into the camera. Occasionally, however, the president will stand at a lectern on the opposite side of the Oval Office and give the address. Previously, it was also common for an artificial background to be placed behind the president, ordinarily consisting of plain blue fabric. Since the administration of Gerald Ford, the preference has instead been for the natural backdrop of the Office's windows.

Modern format

There have been suggestions that the traditional Oval Office address is falling out of favor in the Information Age, with White House aide Daniel Pfeiffer describing it as "an argument from the '80s", when President Ronald Reagan would draw tens of millions of viewers per address (42 in all, the second-most of any president; Nixon ranks first, having given 43).^[8] Television networks are increasingly reluctant to sacrifice airtime for a political purpose. In recent years, many major speeches have been made in White House settings besides the Oval Office; President Obama often did so from the East Room, as in his announcement of the death of Osama bin Laden; Trump preferred to use the Diplomatic reception room. During his presidency, President Joe Biden has used the White House Cross Hall or Roosevelt Room for major addresses.^[9] ^[10]

However, the tradition of the prime-time Oval Office address has continued into the Trump and Biden presidencies. The address of January 8, 2019, during the government shutdown was the first time that Trump requested airtime.^[11] The address of June 2, 2023, during the debt-ceiling crisis was the first time that Biden requested airtime.

List of Oval Office addresses

President	Date	Subject
Joe Biden	July 24, 2024	On his decision to no longer seek reelection
	July 14, 2024	On the attempted assassination of Donald Trump
	October 19, 2023	On the 2023 Israel–Hamas war and Russian invasion of Ukraine
	June 2, 2023	On Congressional approval of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023
Donald Trump	March 11, 2020	On the coronavirus pandemic
Donald Trump	January 8, 2019	On the Government Shutdown and the Proposed United States-Mexico Border wall
Barack Obama	December 6, 2015	On the United States Counterterrorism Strategy
	August 31, 2010	On United States Policy towards Iraq
	June 15, 2010	On the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
George W. Bush	September 13, 2007	On the War in Iraq
	September 11, 2006	On the Five Year anniversary of the September 11th attacks
	May 15, 2006	On Immigration, Border Security, drug policy, and the drug war in Mexico
	December 18, 2005	On the elections in Iraq
	March 19, 2003	Start of war against Iraq
	September 11, 2001	On the terrorist attacks in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C
Bill Clinton	January 18, 2001	Farewell address
	June 10, 1999	On the peace agreement in Kosovo
	March 24, 1999	On the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia
	December 16, 1998	Start of a US and British Bombing Campaign against Iraq
	August 20, 1998	U.S Cruise missile strikes on Afghanistan and Sudan
	November 27, 1995	On the Dayton Agreement
	June 13, 1995	On the Federal Budget
	December 15, 1994	Announcing a Middle Class Bill of Rights initiative
	October 10, 1994	On Iraq
	September 18, 1994	On the peaceful capitulation of the Hatian government
	September 15, 1994	Ultimatum to the government of Haiti
	October 7, 1993	On the battle of Mogadishu
	August 3, 1993	On the Balanced Budget Plan
	June 26, 1993	US Strike on Iraq
	February 15, 1993	On the National economic program
George H. W. Bush	December 4, 1992	On the crisis in Somalia
	September 1, 1992	On Hurricane Andrew disaster relief
	May 1, 1992	On the riots in Los Angeles
	December 25, 1991	On the Collapse of the Soviet Union
	September 27, 1991	On Reducing US and Soviet nuclear weapons
	September 13, 1991	Nomination of Robert Gates as CIA Director^[12]
	February 27, 1991	End of war in the Persian Gulf
	January 16, 1991	Start of war in the Persian Gulf
	October 2, 1990	On the Federal Budget Agreement
	September 12, 1990	Message to the people of Iraq
	August 8, 1990	On the crisis in the Persian Gulf
	December 20, 1989	On the United States invasion of Panama
	September 5, 1989	On drugs
Ronald Reagan	January 11, 1989	Farewell address
	February 2, 1988	On aid to the Nicaraguan Democratic Resistance
	December 10, 1987	On the Soviet-United States Summit Meeting
	October 14, 1987	Nomination of Robert Bork to the United States Supreme Court
	August 12, 1987	On the Iran Contra Affair and the Administration Goals
	June 15, 1987	On the Venice Economic Summit, Arms Control, and the Deficit
	March 4, 1987	On the Iran-Contra Affair
	December 2, 1986	On the Investigation into the Iran-Contra Affair
	November 13, 1986	On the Iran-Contra Affair
	November 2, 1986	On the Congressional and Gubernatorial Midterm Elections^[13]
	October 13, 1986	On meetings with Gorbachev in Iceland
	June 24, 1986	Aid to the Contras
	April 14, 1986	United States airstrike against Libya
	March 16, 1986	On the Situation in Nicaragua
	February 26, 1986	On National Security
	January 28, 1986	On the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
	November 14, 1985	On the upcoming Soviet-United States meeting in Geneva
	June 30, 1985	On the Hijacking of Trans World Airlines Flight 847
	May 28, 1985	On tax reform
	April 24, 1985	On Federal Budget and Deficit Reduction
	November 5, 1984	On the eve of the Presidential Election
	May 9, 1984	On United States Policy in Central America
	January 29, 1984	Decision to seek re-election
	October 27, 1983	On recent events in Lebanon and Grenada
	September 5, 1983	On the Soviet attack on a Korean Civilian Airliner
	March 23, 1983	On Defense and National Security
	November 22, 1982	On Strategic Arms Reduction and Nuclear Deterrence
	October 13, 1982	On the economy
	September 20, 1982	Announcing the formation of a Multinational Force in Lebanon
	August 16, 1982	On Federal Tax and Budget Reconciliation Legislation
	April 29, 1982	On the 1983 Fiscal Budget
	December 23, 1981	Observance of Christmas and the Situation in Poland
	September 24, 1981	On the Program for Economic Recovery
	July 27, 1981	On Federal Tax Reduction Legislation
	February 5, 1981	On the economy
Jimmy Carter	January 14, 1981	Farewell Address
	April 25, 1980	On the failed rescue attempt of American hostages in Iran
	January 4, 1980	On the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan
	October 1, 1979	On the Strategic Arms Limitation Agreement
	July 15, 1979	On Consumerism and the Crisis of Confidence
	April 5, 1979	On Energy
	November 8, 1977	Announcing a National Energy Policy
	April 18, 1977	On Energy
Gerald Ford	October 6, 1975	On Federal Tax and Spending Regulations
	May 27, 1975	On Energy
	May 15, 1975	On the Recovery of the SS Mayaguez
	March 29, 1975	On Signing the Tax Reduction Act of 1975
	January 13, 1975	On Energy, Inflation, and the Economy
	September 16, 1974	Pardoning of Vietnam War draft evaders
	September 8, 1974	Pardoning of Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon	August 8, 1974	Announcing the resignation of the Presidency
	July 25, 1974	On Inflation and the Economy.
	July 3, 1974	On Returning From the Soviet Union.
	July 2, 1974	Message to the People of the Soviet Union
	April 29, 1974	Announcing Answer to the House Judiciary Committee Subpoena (Watergate)
	November 25, 1973	Announcing a National Energy Policy
	November 7, 1973	Announcing Policies To Deal With the Energy Shortages
	October 12, 1973	Nomination of Gerald Ford as Vice President of the United States
	August 15, 1973	On the Watergate Investigations
	June 13, 1973	Announcing Price Control Measures
	April 30, 1973	On the Watergate Investigations
	April 19, 1973	Annanouncing an end to the energy quota system
	March 29, 1973	On Vietnam and Domestic Problems
	January 23, 1973	Announcing the conclusion of a Peace Agreement in Vietnam
	November 7, 1972	Victory Speech
	November 6, 1972	On the eve of the Presidential Election
	November 2, 1972	"Look to the Future"
	July 4, 1972	Announcing Plans for America's Bicentennial Celebration
	May 28, 1972	Message to the People of the Soviet Union
	May 8, 1972	On the Situation in Southeast Asia
	April 26, 1972	On Vietnam
	March 16, 1972	On Equal Educational Opportunities and School Busing
	February 8, 1972	On the environment
	January 25, 1972	Announcing a Plan for Peace in Vietnam
	October 21, 1971	Nomination of Powell and Rehnquist to the United States Supreme Court
	October 7, 1971	On the Post-Freeze Economic Stabilization Program
	September 6, 1971	Observance of Labor Day
	August 15, 1971	Announcing a New Economic Policy: "The Challenge of Peace"
	July 15, 1971	Announcing Acceptance of an Invitation To Visit China
	May 20, 1971	Annaouncing a Strategic Arms Limitation Agreement with the Soviet Union
	April 7, 1971	On the Situation in Southeast Asia (Vietnam)
	February 25, 1971	On the Second Annual Foreign Policy Report to Congress
	February 18, 1971	On Healthcare
	October 7, 1970	Announcing a New Initiative for Peace in Southeast Asia (Vietnam)
	June 17. 1970	On Economic Policy and Productivity
	June 3, 1970	On the Cambodian Sanctuary Operation
	April 30, 1970	On the Situation in Southeast Asia (Cambodian Incursion)
	April 20, 1970	On Progress Toward Peace in Vietnam
	March 23, 1970	On the Postal Strike
	December 15, 1969	On Progress Toward Peace in Vietnam
	November 3, 1969	On the War in Vietnam
	October 17, 1969	On the Rising Cost of Living
	August 8. 1969	On Domestic Programs
	May 14, 1969	On Vietnam
Lyndon B. Johnson	October 31, 1968	Announcing His Decision To Halt the Bombing of North Vietnam
	June 6, 1968	On the death of Robert Francis Kennedy
	June 5, 1968	On the Assassination Attempt on Robert Francis Kennedy
	April 5, 1968	On the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr
	March 31, 1968	On the war in Vietnam and the 1968 election
	January 26, 1968	On the Capture of the USS Pueblo by North Korean forces
	July 27, 1967	On civil disorder in the United States
	July 24, 1967	On the Riots in Detroit
	July 12, 1966	On United States Foreign Policy in Asia
	January 31, 1966	On the Resumption of Bombing of North Vietnam
	August 6, 1965	On the Signing of the Voting Rights Act
	July 28, 1965	On Vietnam and the United States Supreme Court
	May 2, 1965	On the situation in the Dominican Republic
	April 28, 1965	On the Decision to send troops to the Dominican Republic
	March 26, 1965	On the arrests of those involved in the murder of Violo Liuzzo
	November 2, 1964	On the eve of the Presidential election
	October 18, 1964	On recent events in China, the USSR, and Great Britain
	October 7, 1964	On the Upcoming Presidential Election
	August 4, 1964	On the Gulf of Tonkin Incident
	July 2, 1964	On the Signing of the Civil Rights Bill
	April 22, 1964	On the Railroad Strike
	November 28, 1963	Observance of Thanksgiving
	November 23, 1963	On the assassination of John Fitzgerald Kennedy
John F. Kennedy	September 18, 1963	On the Test Ban Treaty and the Tax Reduction Bill
	July 26, 1963	On the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
	July 10, 1963	Announcing Postponing of the Railroad Strike
	July 5, 1963	On returning from a trip to Europe
	June 11, 1963	On civil rights
	May 16, 1963	On the Flight of Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper
	May 12, 1963	On the race riots in Birmingham, Alabama
	November 3, 1962	Encouraging the American People to Vote in the Midterm Elections
	November 2, 1962	Announcing an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis
	October 22, 1962	On the Cuban Missile Crisis
	September 30, 1962	On the Situation at the University of Mississippi
	August 13, 1962	On the economy
	July 2, 1962	Announcing recognition of Algerian independence
	March 3, 1962	On Nuclear Testing and Deterrent
	July 25, 1961	On the Berlin Crisis
	June 6, 1961	On Returning from Europe
Dwight Eisenhower	January 17, 1961	Farewell address
	June 27, 1960	On the trip to the Far East
	May 25, 1960	On recent events in Paris
	March 8, 1960	On the trip to South America
	February 21, 1960	On leaving for a trip to South America
	December 3, 1959	On leaving for a trip to Europe, Asia, and South America
	September 10, 1959	On the trip to Europe
	August 6, 1959	On the Need for an effective labor bill
	March 16, 1959	On security in the free world
	September 11, 1958	On the Formosan Straits Crisis
	July 15, 1958	On the United States mission in Beirut
	December 23, 1957	On the NATO conference in Paris
	November 13, 1957	On Future Security
	November 7, 1957	On science and national security
	September 24, 1957	On the Little Rock School Integration Crisis
	May 21, 1957	On Mutual Security
	May 14, 1957	On the Federal Budget
	February 20, 1957	On the Situation in the Middle East and the Eisenhower Doctrine
	October 31, 1956	On the Uprising in Hungary and the Suez Crisis
	September 19, 1956	Start of the President's Re-election campaign
	April 16, 1956	On the Farm Bill Veto
	February 29, 1956	Decision to seek re-election
	January 5, 1956	On the State of the Union
	July 25, 1955	On the Geneva Convention
	July 15, 1955	On the Upcoming Convention in Geneva
	August 23, 1954	On the Achievements of the 83rd Congress
	April 5, 1954	On the State of the Union
	March 15, 1954	On the tax Program
	January 4, 1954	On the Administrations Purposes and Accomplishments
	August 6, 1953	On the Achievements of the 83rd Congress
	July 26, 1953	On the armistice on the Korean peninsula
	May 19, 1953	On National Security
Harry S. Truman	January 15, 1953	Farewell Address
	November 3, 1952	On the eve of the Presidential Election
	April 8, 1952	On the steel mills crisis
	March 6, 1952	On Mutual Security
	November 7, 1951	On International Arms Reduction
	June 14, 1951	On Inflation
	April 11, 1951	On the war in Korea and the removal of General Douglas MacArthur
	December 24, 1950	Observance of Christmas
	December 19, 1950	On the War in Korea and National Emergency
	September 9, 1950	On the Signing of the Defense Production Act
	September 1, 1950	On the Progress of the War
	July 19, 1950	On the war in Korea
	September 27, 1949	Observance of Democratic Women's Day
	July 13, 1949	On the economy
	April 4, 1949	On the Signing of the North Atlantic Treaty
	October 24, 1947	On the Special Session of Congress
	October 5, 1947	Food conservation to aid post-war Europe
	June 20, 1947	On the veto of the Taft-Harley Bill
	October 14, 1946	Ending of price controls
	June 29, 1946	On price controls
	May 24, 1946	On the railroad strike
	January 3, 1946	Status of Reconversion Program
	October 30, 1945	Reconversion of wartime economy to peacetime economy
	October 2, 1945	Announcing the start of the 1945 National War Fund Campaign
	September 1, 1945	Cessation of hostilities with Japan
	August 10, 1945	On the Potsdam Conference
	August 6, 1945	On the dropping of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima
	June 7, 1945	Ultimatum to Japan
	May 8, 1945	End of the War in Europe
	April 17, 1945	On the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt	January 6, 1945	On the State of the Union
	December 24, 1944	Observance of Christmas
	November 2, 1944	Report on the war
	October 5, 1944	On the Upcoming Presidential Elections
	June 12, 1944	Opening of the Fifth War Loan Drive
	June 6, 1944	On the D-Day Landings
	June 5, 1944	On the fall of Rome
	January 11, 1944	On the state of the Union
	December 24, 1943	On the Tehran and Cairo Conferences
	September 8, 1943	On the Armistice with Italy and the Third War Loan Drive
	July 28, 1943	On the Fall of Mussolini
	May 2, 1943	On the coal crisis
	October 12, 1942	Report on the war
	September 7, 1942	On Inflation and Progress of the War
	June 12, 1942	On Rubber
	April 28, 1942	On national economic policy and sacrifice
	February 23, 1942	On the Progress of the War
	December 9, 1941	On the Declaration of War With Japan
	September 11, 1941	On Maintaining Freedom of the Seas and the Greer Incident
	September 1, 1941	Observance of Labor Day
	May 27, 1941	Announcing Unlimited National Emergency
	December 29, 1940	On the "Arsenal of Democracy"
	May 26, 1940	On National Defense
	September 3, 1939	On the European War
	November 4, 1938	On the eve of the Midterm Elections
	June 24, 1938	On the Party Primaries
	April 14, 1938	On the Recession
	November 14, 1937	On the Unemployment Census
	October 12, 1937	On new legislation to be recommended to Congress
	March 9, 1937	On the Reorganization of the Judiciary
	September 6, 1936	On Drought Conditions, Farmers, and Laborers
	April 28, 1935	On the Works Relief Program and the Social Security Act
	September 30, 1934	On Government and Capitalism
	June 28, 1934	On the Achievements of the 73rd United States Congress and Critics of the New Deal
	October 22, 1933	On Economic Progress
	July 24, 1933	On the National Recovery Administration
	May 7, 1933	On the New Deal Program
	March 12, 1933	On the Banking Crisis
Herbert Hoover	November 7, 1932	Concession to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1932 election
	October 16, 1932	On the Campaign for Community Funds Relief
	March 6, 1932	On the Hoarding of Currency
	October 18, 1931	On Unemployment Relief
	September 18, 1929	On Peace Efforts and Arms Reduction

Bibliography

Book: Gems from the top 100 speeches . Xin-An . Lu . Rita . Sullivan . IUniverse . 2004 . 978-0-595-30856-9.

External links

Presidential Speeches Miller Center

Notes and References

Book: Popular Culture and Representations of Literacy. 13. Bronwyn . Williams. Amy . Zenger. Routledge . 2007. 978-0-415-36095-1. February 8, 2011.
Rottinghaus. Brandon. 2009. Strategic Leaders: Determining Successful Presidential Opinion Leadership Tactics Through Public Appeals. Political Communication. 26. 3. 296–316. 10.1080/10584600903053510. 145768760.
News: Oval Office setting is message behind the message - CNN.com. Thai. Xuan. October 24, 2018. en.
News: Live From the Oval Office: A Backdrop of History Fades From TV. New York Times. July 9, 2013 . December 26, 2013 . Calmes . Jackie .
Web site: Greeley. Brenden. Why Obama Doesn't Give Speeches From the Oval Office. https://web.archive.org/web/20130913040243/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-11/why-obama-doesnt-give-speeches-from-the-oval-office. dead. September 13, 2013. December 26, 2013.
Web site: Michael E. Eidenmuller . The Rhetoric of 9/11: President George W. Bush – Address to the Nation on 9-11-01 . Americanrhetoric.com . February 8, 2011.
News: Connolly . Katie . As it happened: Obama oil spill address . BBC News . June 15, 2010 . February 8, 2011.
News: Remarks by the President on Osama Bin Laden. May 2, 2011. whitehouse.gov. October 24, 2018. en.
Web site: House . The White . February 23, 2021 . Remarks by President Biden on the More Than 500,000 American Lives Lost to COVID-19 . June 3, 2023 . The White House . en-US.
Web site: May 25, 2022 . Remarks by President Biden on the School Shooting in Uvalde, Texas . June 3, 2023 . The White House . en-US.
News: Tackett . Michael . Fandos . Nicholas . Trump Will Take Case for Border Wall to Public in National Address . January 8, 2018 . The New York Times . January 7, 2019 . Ted Koppel, the veteran ABC anchor, said in an interview that given that Mr. Trump had not previously requested time for an Oval Office speech, the networks ought to give him 'the benefit of the doubt.'.
Web site: Address to the Nation on the Nomination of Robert Gates To Be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency The American Presidency Project . April 23, 2024 . www.presidency.ucsb.edu.
Web site: Address to the Nation on the Congressional and Gubernatorial Elections . April 24, 2024 . Ronald Reagan . en.