Former President Donald Trump claimed in a primetime address that the People's Republic of China illicitly acquired 220 million U.S. voter files, alleging this represented the largest compromise of election data in history. He stated the compromised information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and political party preferences.
Trump also accused Venezuela of involvement in a campaign to influence U.S. elections and alleged the "deep state" was involved in a cover-up. These claims revive his long-standing allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden. Trump asserted that China sought his defeat in 2020, citing his imposition of billions of dollars in tariffs during his first term.
A March 2021 U.S. intelligence report, however, assessed that China did not deploy interference efforts in the 2020 election and concluded that Beijing considered but ultimately did not deploy influence operations. Regarding Venezuela, the same 2021 report claims that while former dictator Nicolás Maduro may have wished to sway U.S. public opinion against Trump, he lacked the ability to do so. The report also states that Trump's assertion about Maduro developing methods to digitally alter vote totals undetected was not supported by evidence.
No evidence of voting machine insecurity or fraud in the 2020 election has been established. Trump's recent claims have faced scrutiny, with some major broadcast networks, including ABC and NBC, choosing not to carry his remarks live. Trump criticized this decision, calling the networks "fake news" and part of a plot.
The address comes as the administration continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the 2020 election, including actions in Fulton County, Georgia. The former president has consistently maintained that he won the 2020 election.
Political Reactions and Voter Sentiment
Trump's allegations have energized supporters, with some, like Ohio Republican Senator Bernie Moreno, calling the address significant and stating that "the time for complacency with China is over." Conversely, Democrats have largely dismissed the speech as a repetition of Trump's past grievances, arguing his claims lack evidence. A significant portion of Republicans continue to believe the 2020 election was fraudulent; an April Reuters poll indicated that 63% of Republicans agreed the election was stolen from Trump, compared to 21% of independents and 9% of Democrats.
The speech occurred against the backdrop of efforts to pass the SAVE America Act. This proposed legislation, which has passed the House but is stalled in the Senate, would require proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration and mandate the removal of noncitizens from voter rolls. Critics argue it creates barriers to voting, while proponents contend it enhances election security.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated prior to the address that the U.S. "should have the safest and most secure elections in the history of the world" and that the President's remarks would indicate this may not be the case.