The Epoch Times
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump, in a primetime address on July 16, announced the declassification of information that he alleged reveal large-scale Chinese hacking of American voter information.
“Over a period of years, starting during the 2020 election cycle, the People’s Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history,” he said, claiming that 220 million American voter files were obtained by China.
Trump further claimed that members of the intelligence community sought to suppress data on China’s influence on American elections.
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In addition, Trump detailed the findings of an investigation from the Department of Homeland Security that he said revealed 278,000 noncitizens registered on American voter rolls.
“These disclosures reveal an election system so broken and so vulnerable that no one can possibly defend it. It is not defensible,” Trump said.
The president outlined the declassification and release of multiple groups of documents, including assessments he claimed reveal “a cyber threat aimed at the very heart of our democracy”—vulnerabilities in election databases and other systems, including electronic voting machines.
Citing reporting from the CIA, the president outlined what he described as a multi-year influence campaign by China during his first term aimed at American companies and journalists.
The president said intelligence reports outlining Chinese influence operations aimed at the election were withheld from presidential briefings during his first term.
The president ended his speech with an appeal to Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, election integrity legislation that has passed the House but continues to flounder in the Senate.
The legislation would require photo identification at the polls as well as proof of citizenship for those registering to vote.
“No country could be great without fair and honest elections,” Trump said.
Earlier in the evening, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced that the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security were launching a website with a map outlining the Trump administration’s election integrity measures.
Trump delivered his speech less than four months ahead of what’s expected to be a tough midterm battle for Republicans.
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