Trump raises alarm over foreign meddling before midterms
In a half‑hour address from the White House, former President Donald Trump alleged that China illegally acquired 220 million U.S. voter records and that American voting systems are “shocking vulnerable” to foreign interference.
Trump said he had declassified hundreds of intelligence files that supposedly proved Beijing tried to sway the 2020 election. Those claims have not been backed by U.S. national‑intelligence assessments, which concluded China did not interfere.
The speech, delivered three months before the September 11 midterm elections, was aimed at the 2024 vote that will decide congress control. Democrats criticized Trump as “trying to sow doubt” about election integrity.
Chuck Schumer, Senate majority leader, posted on social media that every voter “can cast their ballot freely, without obstruction or interference from Donald Trump.”
Trump also warned that U.S. voting machines could be compromised by foreign powers, including Russia, China and Iran, and cited a Michigan investigation into alleged voter‑registration fraud tied to a Democratic group.
He called for the passage of the SAVE America Act, a bill that would tighten mail voting and impose stricter proof of citizenship and photo ID requirements. The bill has stalled in the Senate, which many Republicans oppose.
The Chinese embassy replied that Beijing has never interfered in U.S. elections. Meanwhile, former Vice‑President Kamala Harris expressed on X that Trump aims to “lose confidence in our electoral system” to suppress turnout.
More context: the speech reflects a broader partisan debate over election security and foreign interference, with the U.S. intelligence community’s findings standing in stark contrast to President Trump’s allegations.
