President Donald Trump released declassified intelligence Thursday evening exposing what he called “shocking vulnerabilities” in America’s election infrastructure — including allegations that China obtained and exploited massive amounts of American voter data.
“This vital information has for many years been covered up and hidden from you,” Trump told the nation from the East Room. “The American people are beautiful, our great American people. But that all changes right now.”
Trump did not claim China changed votes or altered election results. Instead, he argued Beijing engaged in an influence campaign aimed at shaping U.S. public perceptions.
“China obtained information about American voters such as names, addresses, phone numbers, political affiliations and other personal information to form a dedicated unit to exploit the voter data it had acquired.”
Documents were posted to the White House website during the president’s speech.
The White House released four sections of documents focused on alleged vulnerabilities in electronic voting and ballot-counting systems, China’s acquisition and exploitation of American voter data, Michigan voter-registration investigation and noncitizens on state voter rolls.
Trump said reports from the CIA and National Security Agency about China’s interference were kept out of his almost daily presidential briefings. Trump also said Congress was not notified.
“The documents we will release starting tonight have been gathered by the White House Government Transparency Taskforce, a great group of people, along with the staff of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board, supported by our top intelligence agency chiefs, who have all personally reviewed the findings we are presenting this evening and fully confirmed their authenticity,” Trump said Thursday.
Election law expert and senior legal fellow at Advancing American Freedom Hans von Spakovsky told Fox News Digital that Trump’s allegations are shocking, especially given that they are from reports produced by the CIA, FBI, and other intelligence agencies.
“The president should be commended for declassifying and releasing the reports that support his claims so they can be reviewed in depth,” said von Spakovsky.
Trump called on the director of national intelligence, the Department of Justice, the FBI and the CIA to launch an investigation and, if appropriate, fire and press criminal charges against those involved.
“To the extent that these intrusions into our election system were covered up, as the president alleges, and hidden from the public, Congress, state election officials, and leadership in the Executive Branch, Pres. Trump is right that everyone involved in that coverup should be investigated and prosecuted for any criminal violations of the law.”
China denied the allegations.
“China has never and will never interfere in the presidential elections of the U.S,” Chinese Embassy spokesperson Mr. Liu Chang said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
The speech came as Trump renewed his push for the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and photo identification to register and vote in federal elections.
“I’ve also ordered DHS to notify every state about noncitizens on their voter rolls and direct them to remove all ineligible voters from the lists immediately,” said Trump.
The Department of Homeland Security told election officials in California, New Jersey, Nevada and Pennsylvania that a preliminary review identified more than 256,000 potential noncitizens on the states’ voter rolls, according to letters obtained by Fox News Digital.
Vice President JD Vance, FBI Director Kash Patel, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin were among the White House officials seated in the East Room.
Republicans are running against the clock to pass the stalled elections bill before the party’s midterm window narrows.
Democratic lawmakers swiftly condemned Trump’s remarks and criticized the SAVE Act.
“Not now. Not ever. The SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the United States Senate,” Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X reposting Trump’s speech.
“Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. And now he’s trying to rig this year’s election with the SAVE America Act to make it harder to vote for millions of women, veterans, rural folks, & voters of color,” wrote Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
Not now. Not ever.
The SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the United States Senate. https://t.co/qcYpTu4pjU
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) July 17, 2026
Donald Trump lost the 2020 election.
And now he’s trying to rig this year’s election with the SAVE America Act to make it harder to vote for millions of women, veterans, rural folks, & voters of color.
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) July 17, 2026
