By SUZANNE DOWNING
Feb. 23, 2026 – When Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address Tuesday evening in the US House Chamber, Alaska may have an outsized presence in the room — and possibly in the speech itself.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy is expected to attend, one of only a handful of governors making the trip to Washington, DC. His presence puts a fine point on the strategic role Alaska plays in the administration’s energy, national security, and Arctic priorities.
There is significant chatter in Washington that the president may once again highlight the Alaska LNG project, as he did during his March 4, 2025, joint address to Congress shortly after beginning his second term.
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In that speech, Trump described the long-proposed 800-mile natural gas pipeline from the North Slope as “among the largest in the world,” saying Japan and South Korea were interested in partnering on what he called a “truly spectacular” project. He framed it as part of a broader push to reduce energy costs, declare a national energy emergency, and expand domestic production.
The Alaska LNG project, designed to transport natural gas from the North Slope to a liquefaction facility for export to Asian markets, has been a top priority for Dunleavy and much of Alaska’s congressional delegation. The project aligns with Trump’s Jan. 20, 2025 executive order prioritizing domestic energy production and specifically calling for advancement of Alaska LNG.
Congressman Nick Begich will attend the speech with Anchorage small business owner Norann Kriner as his guest. Kriner owns Kriner’s Diner, a longtime Anchorage establishment that she operated alongside her late husband, Bill Kriner. Begich said her story reflects the resilience of Alaska’s small business community.
“Norann Kriner represents the very best of Alaska,” Begich said in a statement. “Alongside her late husband, Bill Kriner, Norann worked to build a small family business that became a cornerstone of the Anchorage community. The Working Families Tax Cuts have helped businesses like hers retain employees and support working families, and I am proud to have her as my guest at this year’s State of the Union.”
Sen. Dan Sullivan has not announced his guest but sources say he will bring an Alaska Native leader who will highlight Alaska Native leadership and the strategic importance of the North Slope, particularly as Arctic policy and resource development remain central to national security discussions.
As of Monday afternoon, it was not publicly known whom Sen. Lisa Murkowski would invite as her guest.
Several Democratic lawmakers nationally have announced they will skip the address in protest, continuing a pattern of partisan boycotts that has increasingly accompanied high-profile presidential speeches. The president has also invited members of the USA men’s hockey team to attend, adding a patriotic element to the guest list. On that list will be Anchorage’s Jeremy Swayman.
If Trump again spotlights Alaska LNG, it would reinforce the administration’s framing of the project as both an economic driver and a geopolitical tool, supplying allied nations in Asia with American energy while expanding domestic production. With Dunleavy in attendance and Alaska’s congressional delegation present, Tuesday night’s address could serve as the stage for a big announcement as well about the project.
