Key facts
- Donald Trump alleged China acquired voter information on 220 million Americans and interfered in the 2020 election.
- He claimed intelligence officials suppressed information about Chinese interference.
- The White House released redacted documents to support these claims.
- Trump announced plans for administration action to control state elections and remove noncitizens from voter rolls.
- Critics warn Trump's speech is laying groundwork to tamper with midterm election results.
- Trump reiterated calls for the Save America Act, which would ban mail-in ballots and impose new voter ID requirements.
President Donald Trump asserted from the White House that China had illicitly obtained voter information on 220 million Americans and interfered in his 2020 campaign, alleging that intelligence officials suppressed this information. He presented this narrative in a presidential address aimed at undermining confidence in US elections, particularly ahead of the November midterm elections.
Intelligence officials had previously concluded with high confidence in 2021 that China did not deploy interference efforts intended to change the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election, though a minority view suggested some steps were taken to undermine Trump's chances through social media and public statements. The White House released a tranche of heavily redacted documents on Thursday, which CNN found contained little new information and did not offer conclusive evidence of Chinese interference.
Trump also repeated his demand that Congress pass the Save America Act, which would ban mail-in ballots nationwide and impose new identification requirements on voters. However, the measure faces significant opposition in the Senate.
Democrats and voting rights groups expressed alarm, viewing Trump's speech as a precursor to potentially tampering with the upcoming midterm election results. They characterized his claims as baseless and a tactic to undermine democratic systems. Some Republicans, like Senator Mike Lee, supported the Save America Act, while others, such as former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and Congressman Thomas Massie, were critical of Trump's assertions.