US President Donald Trump used a prime-time televised speech to denounce an alleged Chinese operation aimed at violating the US electoral system in 2020accuse members of the intelligence services of hiding information and complain to Congress the immediate approval of new restrictions on registration and voting.
Trump dedicated his first minutes to vindicating the economic results of his Administration, the measures against irregular immigration and the hardening of the border. “We are doing very well,” declared the president before highlighting the latest inflation report. “This week it was announced that inflation registered the largest monthly drop in more than six years,” he stated.
Trump also spoke briefly about Venezuela and maintained that The South American country is now working with Washington to produce millions of barrels of oil. Although the White House had left open the possibility of addressing the conflict with Iran more broadly, the president He limited himself to ensuring that the United States is “winning big” and that the results of his strategy will be known soon.
But andhe heart of the speech came when Trump announced the immediate declassification and publication of intelligence documents related to the US elections. «Tonight I announce the immediate declassification and disclosure of crucial intelligence information that reveals vulnerabilities “impactful on our electoral infrastructure”said. According to the president, the evidence shows that the system is dangerously exposed “to hacking, exploitation and foreign interference.”
Trump claimed that the information had been hidden for years and accused the so-called “deep state” of downplaying China’s activities to harm his 2020 candidacy.
The president maintained that Beijing illicitly obtained access to the data of more than 220 million American voters. According to his story, the information included names, addresses, telephone numbers, political preferences and other data that could be used to register voters or carry out fraudulent activities. “That information includes names, addresses, telephone numbers, political party preferences and other sensitive data necessary to register to vote and participate in other nefarious activities,” he said.
Some of the information included in US election records is public in many states. Furthermore, the documents known until now They do not prove that China modified votes or altered the result of the presidential electionsaccording to Reuters. The intelligence community’s official assessment published in January 2021 concluded that Beijing did not deploy an operation aimed at directly interfering in the electoral process, although a minority opinion held that China attempted to influence public perception against Trump.
The president also assured that Several bags were found with sensitive documents on Chinese activities. According to Trump, the material was to be destroyed by order of those in charge of Barack Obama’s Administration, but it was not incinerated due to the incompetence of those carrying out the operation. He did not present independent evidence during the speech to prove this accusation.
Trump announced that he has instructed the Department of Justice, the FBI and the CIA to investigate those responsible for the alleged cover-up and file criminal charges when appropriate.
The president also recovered his criticism against electronic voting machines. “Our government has long known that these machines are extremely vulnerable to attack,” he said. He cited an alleged intelligence assessment that adversaries such as Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, as well as non-state groups, would have the capacity to compromise US election infrastructure. «These revelations show an electoral system so broken and vulnerable that no one can defend it. “It is not defensible,” he said.
Reuters reported that electoral security experts believe that There is no credible evidence of significant vote manipulation in 2020. Those elections were subjected to audits, recounts, litigation and federal reviews that did not alter Joe Biden’s certified victory.
Trump took advantage of his intervention to pressure Congress in favor of SAVE America Actan initiative that would impose stricter identification requirements and documentary evidence of citizenship to register on the electoral register. “To all Americans, I ask you to pick up the phone tomorrow, call your representatives in the House and Senate and demand that they pass SAVE.” America Act without delay,” he said.
Its defenders maintain that the measure would prevent people without US citizenship from voting. Critics warn, however, that it could leave out legitimate voters who have difficulty presenting documents, especially low-income citizens and women whose current last name does not match the one on their birth certificate.
The intervention generated reservations even among Republican lawmakers, who see little benefit in reopening the dispute over 2020 as the party prepares for competitive congressional elections in November. Some leaders preferred that Trump focus his message on the cost of living, immigration and the economic achievements of his second term.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris responded shortly before the speech. «The 2020 elections were not stolen. “We won and he lost,” he wrote on social media. Harris accused Trump of trying to erode trust in the system to demobilize those who are dissatisfied with his governmentwith a view to converting “electoral security” into one of the major axes of the November legislative campaign.