Daijiworld Media Network – Washington
Washington, Jul 17: US President Donald Trump has claimed that China carried out the "largest compromise of election data in history" during the 2020 US presidential election by allegedly obtaining information on 220 million American voters. He also reiterated his long-standing assertion that the 2020 election, which he lost to Joe Biden, was stolen.
In a televised address from the White House on Friday, Trump announced the immediate declassification of intelligence documents that he said reveal significant vulnerabilities in the US election system.
"Tonight, I'm announcing the immediate declassification and release of critical intelligence, revealing shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure," Trump said.
He alleged that the declassified records show that the People's Republic of China gained illicit access to voter information during the 2020 election cycle.
According to Trump, the alleged data breach involved voter files containing names, home addresses, phone numbers, political party affiliations and other information linked to voter registration. He described the incident as an "unprecedented election security nightmare" and accused members of the US intelligence community and the so-called "deep state" of concealing the extent of the alleged breach.
Trump claimed the evidence demonstrates that the US electoral system remains vulnerable to hacking, foreign interference and exploitation, warning that future elections could be "rigged and stolen" unless major reforms are implemented.
The President also said he had directed the Director of National Intelligence and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate the allegations involving China.
Trump further referred to an intelligence assessment stating that countries including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, along with non-state actors, possess the capability to interfere in US elections, arguing that the assessment itself reflects weaknesses in the country's election infrastructure.
However, allegations that China collected US voter data are not new. A report by the National Intelligence Officer for Cyber, prepared in 2020 and partially declassified in 2022, stated that Chinese intelligence officials analysed voter registration data from several American states for public opinion analysis.
Despite Trump's repeated claims of election fraud, more than 60 lawsuits filed by him and his allies following the 2020 presidential election failed to produce evidence of fraud that could have changed the outcome. Multiple recounts, audits and reviews, including those conducted by Trump's own Justice Department, also found no evidence of widespread voter fraud sufficient to alter Joe Biden's victory.