Donald Trump Inauguration: How Long Will His Speech Be?

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Donald Trump posted this photo of himself writing his inaugural speech on Twitter. (Twitter/Donald Trump)

Donald Trump will deliver his inaugural address on January 20 when he becomes the 45th president of the U.S. As the first president without any political or military experience, what Trump’s speech will be like is mostly a mystery. Past inaugural addresses have been about uniting the country after a difficult campaign, outlining future policies and the incoming president’s vision for the country’s future. As expected, Trump didn’t speak very long, as the address ran just under 20 minutes. Both of President Barack Obama’s inaugural addresses were also less than 20 minutes long.

Associates told USA Today that Trump is working with speechwriter Stephen Miller, a former Jeff Sessions aide who was a “warm-up” act for Trump on the campaign trail. USA Today reports that “national unity” will be the theme, much like past inaugural addresses.

Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer told The Hill that the address will be “a very personal and sincere statement about his vision for the country.”

“He’ll discuss what it means to be an American, the challenges we face, the challenges the middle class face,” Spicer told The Hill. “It’s going to be less of an agenda and more of a philosophical document, a vision of where he sees the country. The proper role of government. The role of citizens.”

Spicer told The Hill that Trump will still try to touch on some of the policies he wants to enact, especially infrastructure spending and ways to revive the American manufacturing industry.

The longest inaugural address was delivered by William Henry Harrison in 1841. The Encyclopedia Britannica notes that his speech took 1 hour, 45 minutes to deliver and he refused to wear a hat or coat, despite a snowstorm. He caught pneumonia and died a month later in office.