Trump accuses China of 'largest compromise' of US election data, vows to declassify intelligence

US President Donald Trump declassified intelligence on Thursday that he said showed Chinese interference in US elections, reviving his long-running attacks on election security. In a 25-minute address, Trump alleged that China had illicitly acquired 220 million US voter files, including names, addresses and other registration data. He also claimed that US intelligence agencies deliberately suppressed information about the extent of China's activities.

Trump's allegations contradict an unclassified 2021 US intelligence community assessment that found no indications any foreign actor attempted or succeeded in altering any technical aspect of the 2020 presidential election, including voter registrations, ballots, tabulations or results. The assessment was conducted under John Ratcliffe, then Trump's director of national intelligence and now his CIA director.

Ahead of Trump's speech, some White House officials expressed concern that disclosing the China information could be misleading, sources told Reuters. Trump's harsh language about China risked rocking a relationship that has steadied following last year's costly trade war. Trump hopes to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in September about improving trade relations.

A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, Liu Chang, said in response to a request for comment, "China has never and will never interfere in the presidential elections of the US."

Democratic Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement: "Trump's shocking 'bombshells' about China are totally bogus. The fact is our intelligence agencies unanimously agreed that China did not even try to change a single vote in the 2020 election."

Trump's speech comes as Republicans prepare for November's midterm elections, where they must defend their congressional majorities. Some Republican leaders have urged Trump to focus on issues that matter most to Americans, including high living costs, rather than the 2020 vote. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said most of his colleagues are focused on the 2026 election.

Three major US television networks and CNN decided not to broadcast Trump's prime-time address on their primary platforms, departing from a practice typically reserved for major addresses on issues of national import. Democrats warned intelligence agencies not to allow Trump to "weaponise intelligence to support false claims about election security."