The President of the United States (US) Donald Trump has delivered a primetime address from the White House on Thursday, accusing China of interfering in the 2020 election and alleging “shocking vulnerabilities” in American voting systems.
In the half hour speech, delivered three months ahead of the midterm elections, Trump claimed he had declassified hundreds of intelligence files backing his allegation that Beijing had tried to sway the election in favour of Joe Biden, who defeated him in 2020.
He accused China of the “illicit acquisition” of 220 million voter files containing personal information and said that voter data in 18 states was “bought, stolen or hacked by China.” He further alleged that “those responsible for sounding the alarm” had failed to disclose the discovery to government officials or Congress.
Trump did not present evidence that China had used the information it allegedly obtained to alter voting systems or influence election outcomes. He spoke in front of several members of his top team, though journalists were not given the opportunity to question him.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the allegations, telling an international media outlet that Beijing “has never and will never interfere in the presidential elections.”
The claims run counter to earlier assessments by US intelligence agencies. A 2021 report by the National Intelligence Council stated it had “high confidence” that China did not interfere in the 2020 presidential election, noting that Beijing “did not view either election outcome as being advantageous enough for China to risk blowback if caught.”
The address came after a Washington Post-Ipsos poll showed Trump’s approval rating had fallen to 37 percent, with voters expressing pessimism over the cost of living and the ongoing war with Iran. Elsewhere in the speech, Trump alleged that US voting machines remain “extremely exposed” to interference from foreign adversaries, including Russia, China and Iran.
