US President Donald Trump has revived his sweeping and unsupported claims of voter fraud and Chinese meddling in a primetime White House address, signaling his intent to dispute the upcoming midterm elections. Trump urged lawmakers to adopt new voting restrictions, despite minimal support within his own Republican Party. He claimed that China had illicitly acquired 220 million US voter files and that over 250,000 non-US citizens were registered to vote in four states. These claims have been denied by Beijing and criticized by election law experts as recycled and debunked. Democrats have accused Trump of attempting to undermine confidence in the electoral process.
Claims of Chinese Meddling
In his address, Trump alleged that China had carried out the largest compromise of election data in history by acquiring 220 million US voter files. The Chinese foreign ministry has vehemently denied these claims, calling them 'pure fabrications and malicious smears.'
Calls for New Voting Restrictions
Trump urged lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and impose new limits on mail-in ballots. However, this measure has faced little support even within his own party.
Political Reactions
Democrats, including Senate Democrat Dick Durbin, have accused Trump of attempting to undermine confidence in the electoral process ahead of the midterms. Former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb suggested that the speech was intended to build a case for declaring an election emergency.
