Trump Accuses China of Largest US Voter Data Theft; Repeats Unsubstantiated Fraud Claims
In a televised address from the White House, US President Donald Trump accused China of acquiring 220 million US voter files, calling it the largest compromise of election data in history. He claimed he would declassify intelligence revealing 'shocking vulnerabilities' in the election system, reiterating his long-standing assertion that the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Joe Biden, was stolen.
Trump said the alleged breach began during the 2020 election cycle and involved the People's Republic of China. He accused members of the 'deep state' of covering up the data fraud, describing the data loss as an 'unprecedented election security nightmare.' He warned that the current system 'falls catastrophically short' of an accurate and fair process and called for radical changes to voting procedures, including measures that voting rights groups say could disenfranchise millions.
However, allegations of Chinese collection of US voter data are not new. A 2020 report by the National Intelligence Officer for Cyber, partially declassified in 2022, stated that Chinese intelligence officials analyzed voter registration data from multiple states for 'public opinion analysis.' But more than 60 lawsuits by Trump and his allies failed to produce any ruling establishing fraud sufficient to change the outcome of the 2020 election. Recounts, audits, and Trump's own Justice Department found no evidence of widespread fraud.
Trump closed his 24-minute speech by urging passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require documentary proof of US citizenship for voter registration. Voting rights groups warn this could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters, as noncitizen voting is already illegal and rare under federal law.
The President also threatened to revoke broadcasting licenses for networks that did not carry his speech live, baselessly implying their involvement in election rigging. He singled out ABC and NBC, claiming they use public airwaves without payment.
