Donald Trump has announced a significant speech scheduled for Thursday night, during which he is expected to present what he claims is "bombshell" evidence of voter fraud and detail alleged vulnerabilities in U.S. voting machines. An administration official told Reuters that the address will reveal declassified intelligence from investigations into U.S. elections.
Trump hinted at the speech's importance on Tuesday, stating, "I'd rather save it, it will concern [election machines]. It's really big news. It's really, really big news." He added, "Our country has to shape up. What we're going to be talking about Thursday, it doesn't get bigger."
The announcement comes as Trump continues to promote his unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen due to widespread fraud. These claims have been consistently rejected by numerous court rulings, ballot audits, and his own Justice Department, which found no evidence to support them. The federal cybersecurity agency, along with other state and local officials, declared the 2020 election to be "the most secure in American history."
While Trump has not released specific details about the content of his speech, he confirmed that election machine integrity would be a subject of discussion. The administration has been actively seeking to increase federal oversight of election administration and alter voting processes, efforts that legal experts argue could shift power from states and potentially violate the U.S. Constitution.
Concerns have been raised by Democrats and election security experts that the Trump administration's focus on election integrity could be an attempt to interfere in the upcoming November midterm elections. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez suggested that media outlets should refrain from airing the speech, stating, "He's basically doing a made-for-TV broadcast about election fraud and conspiracy theories." She emphasized an ethical obligation not to platform unverified claims that undermine elections.
Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia expressed his belief that Trump might use the speech as a pretext to challenge the legitimacy of election results, potentially including his own and Senator Raphael Warnock's victories. Ossoff suggested Trump could attempt an "unconstitutional use of federal power to interfere in the election" or provide justification for actions by his supporters at the state and local levels.
Election officials maintain confidence in the security of voting machines and have found no evidence of foreign interference that altered past election outcomes. A forensic analysis of voting machines seized in Puerto Rico, conducted by Mojave Research last year, identified flaws but no evidence of hacking. Former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also produced a report highlighting potential vulnerabilities in voting machines and suggesting safeguards.
The White House has delayed the release of further reports on election machine security. Trump appointed Bill Pulte, director of the federal mortgage regulator, as Gabbard's interim replacement and reportedly authorized him to declassify documents related to the 2020 vote. A task force has also been formed to investigate elements of the 2020 election, with journalist John Solomon reportedly involved in the effort. This comes as a 2021 U.S. intelligence assessment found no indications that foreign actors attempted to alter technical aspects of the 2020 vote, though it noted Russian influence operations aimed at boosting Trump's candidacy and undermining confidence in the U.S. electoral process. China considered, but ultimately decided against, similar operations, while Iran conducted a covert campaign to undermine Trump.