Trump Accuses China of Meddling in 2020 Election
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- Trump delivered a half-hour primetime White House address accusing China of interfering in the 2020 election, saying he had declassified hundreds of intelligence files showing Beijing tried to sway the outcome for Joe Biden.
- The president alleged China conducted the "illicit acquisition" of 220 million voter files and that voter data in 18 states was "bought, stolen or hacked by China," though he presented no evidence the information was used to alter outcomes.
- China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian rejected the allegations as "entirely fabricated" and "malicious smears" that have "long been proven to be groundless."
- The 2021 National Intelligence Council report assessed with "high confidence" that China did not interfere in the 2020 presidential election, finding Beijing "considered but did not deploy influence efforts intended to change the outcome."
- A Washington Post-Ipsos poll released the same day showed Trump's approval rating at 37%, with voters pessimistic about the cost of living and the war with Iran.
- Trump also claimed the Department of Homeland Security identified 278,000 non-citizens registered to vote and renewed his call for the SAVE America Act, which has been stalled in the Senate for months.
- Senate Democrats Chuck Schumer and former Vice-President Kamala Harris accused Trump of attempting to sow doubt about the November midterms and the 2028 presidential election.
Why it matters: Trump's allegations directly contradict the 2021 intelligence community's high-confidence assessment that Beijing stayed out of 2020, and Democrats argue the speech is designed to prime voters to question midterm results — a concern amplified by Trump's 37% approval rating and the upcoming November vote that will determine congressional control.
