President Donald Trump has again alleged that China interfered in the 2020 US presidential election, claiming Beijing obtained 220 million voter records. In a White House speech on Thursday evening, Trump revisited his widely debunked claims of election fraud, despite dozens of court cases finding no evidence of large-scale irregularities.
Trump's Allegations
Trump described the alleged breach as "the largest compromise of election data in history" and said he would order an investigation. He claimed that voter data in 18 states was "bought, stolen or hacked by China" and accused officials of failing to disclose the discovery to Congress. He also promised to declassify intelligence documents he says reveal major voting system vulnerabilities.
However, the president's claims contradict a 2021 report by the US National Intelligence Council, which stated with "high confidence" that China did not interfere in the 2020 election. The report said China "did not deploy interference efforts" and likely avoided action because it "did not view either election outcome as being advantageous enough to risk blowback."
Democratic Response
Democrats accused Trump of trying to undermine confidence in the upcoming November midterm elections. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on social media: "Let's be clear - in America, voters choose their leaders, not the other way around. Democrats will fight like hell to make sure every American voter can cast their ballot freely, without obstruction or interference from Donald Trump."
Political Context
Trump's address came after a Washington Post-Ipsos poll showed his approval rating had fallen to 37%, with many voters pessimistic about the cost of living and the ongoing war with Iran. The president has repeatedly and falsely claimed that the 2020 election was stolen from him, despite no evidence of widespread fraud.
