Trump Revives 2020 Election Claims, Accuses China of Data Breach; Beijing Denies Interference
Washington: US President Donald Trump has once again questioned the integrity of the 2020 presidential election, alleging that China gained access to millions of American voter records and warning that the country’s election system remains vulnerable to foreign interference.
In a televised prime-time address from the White House, Trump claimed that China had carried out what he described as the “largest compromise of election data in history” during the 2020 election cycle. According to him, the alleged breach enabled the Chinese government to obtain nearly 220 million US voter files, raising serious concerns about election security.
Calling the situation an “election security nightmare,” Trump said he would immediately declassify intelligence documents that he claims reveal major weaknesses in the United States’ voting infrastructure.
“Every American deserves confidence that their vote is counted accurately in a secure system. Unfortunately, our current election system falls far short of that standard,” Trump said during his 24-minute address.
The US President further alleged that members of the so-called “deep state” concealed the extent of the alleged breach and argued that unless significant reforms are introduced, future elections—including the upcoming midterms—could remain vulnerable to manipulation.
Trump also renewed his claim that the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden, was unfairly decided. However, those allegations have repeatedly been rejected by courts and election officials. More than 60 lawsuits filed by Trump and his allies failed to produce evidence of fraud that could have changed the election outcome. Multiple recounts, audits and investigations, including reviews by his own Justice Department, similarly found no proof of widespread voter fraud.
The allegations regarding China are also not entirely new. A partially declassified 2020 US intelligence assessment released in 2022 stated that Chinese intelligence officials had analysed voter registration data from several American states for public opinion research. However, the report did not conclude that China altered election results or interfered with vote counting.
Alongside his latest claims, Trump urged Congress to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require documentary proof of US citizenship to register to vote. Supporters argue the measure would strengthen election security, while voting rights groups warn it could make voter registration more difficult for millions of eligible Americans. Under existing federal law, non-citizens are already prohibited from voting in federal elections, and documented cases of non-citizen voting remain extremely rare.
Trump also criticised several major American television networks, including ABC and NBC, for not broadcasting his address live. He suggested that broadcasters refusing to air his speech should risk losing their licenses, alleging without evidence that some media organisations are part of efforts to undermine election integrity.
China swiftly rejected Trump’s accusations. Responding to the remarks, Liu Chang, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, reiterated Beijing’s longstanding position that it does not interfere in the domestic affairs of other countries.
“The US election is an internal matter of the United States, and its outcome is determined by the American people. China has never interfered and will never interfere in US presidential elections,” the embassy spokesperson said.
Trump’s latest comments are expected to reignite political debate over election security in the United States, an issue that has remained deeply divisive since the 2020 presidential election. While his supporters continue to demand stricter voting laws and greater transparency, critics maintain that repeated claims of a stolen election have not been supported by evidence presented in court or by official investigations.
News source: Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
