President Donald Trump delivered a primetime televised address on Thursday, reviving claims that the 2020 US election was fabricated. During the speech, Trump accused China of carrying out the largest election data breach in history, alleging that Beijing illicitly acquired 220 million US voter files, including names, addresses, and other registration data.
Trump announced the declassification of intelligence reports that he says reveal shocking vulnerabilities in the US election system and evidence of foreign interference. He described the acquisition of voter records as a major threat to democracy and referenced a deep state that he claims hid evidence of Chinese meddling.
These assertions contradict findings from US intelligence assessments, courts, audits, and the Justice Department, all of which found no evidence that foreign actors or fraud altered the 2020 election outcome. While the US has investigated reports of foreign interference since 2016, no evidence has emerged that such attempts changed results. China has denied the allegations, and it has been noted that in 20 states, voter information can be obtained through simple public requests.
The 25-minute address underscores an effort by the president to make election security a central political issue ahead of the midterm elections in November.