The administration of US President Donald Trump is preparing to make serious accusations against China for large-scale and previously undisclosed interference in the US elections. According to information from the CBS News channel, citing sources from the White House, the topic will be a central focus of the official address of the head of state, scheduled for Thursday evening local time.
Trump is expected to present previously classified reports that, according to him, prove coordinated operations by Beijing to penetrate the American democratic infrastructure.
Breach of voter databases
The main allegations in the US president's prepared speech are related to the compromise of personal data of voters. According to the sources, the administration will present data that China gained access to American voter records during the 2020 presidential election. Trump also plans to attack the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), claiming that the agency had this evidence, but deliberately hid it from him during his first term.
White House spokeswoman Carolyn Leavitt refused to reveal specific details of the text, telling the media that at the moment anonymous sources are simply speculating, and the final decision on the content of the speech remains in the hands of the president.
Disputes in the intelligence community
The Reuters news agency adds that there is currently a serious debate within the American secret services regarding the declassification of these documents. Some experts are concerned that sharing raw intelligence could reveal closely guarded intelligence gathering methods.
The official 2021 report by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) concluded that there was no indication that foreign powers had altered the technical outcome or vote count in 2020. However, the documents also contain alternative intelligence analyses that found China's cyber capabilities to influence US domestic politics were seriously underestimated. The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence are currently refusing to officially comment on the subject.
The political context in the United States
Donald Trump's address comes at an extremely delicate moment, amid preparations for the midterm elections in the United States at the end of 2026. Critics from the Democratic Party, including Senator Jon Ossoff, have already accused the White House of using outdated and disproven theories to undermine confidence in the electoral system and push for stricter federal control over voting, which is constitutionally within the powers of individual states.
For his part, Trump is increasing pressure on Congress to pass the “SAVE Act“, requiring mandatory proof of American citizenship when registering to vote.