Trump to address alleged Chinese meddling in U.S. elections

Donald Trump is expected to use a Thursday-night address to air previously unreported allegations of Chinese meddling in U.S. elections, with the White House weighing whether to release sensitive intelligence before the November midterms. The speech is also expected to center on election security, voting-machine vulnerabilities and declassified material tied to foreign interference in the 2020 election.

Four months before the November 2026 midterms, any disclosure of China-related intelligence would land inside an already sharpened argument over whether foreign powers are trying to change votes, shape perceptions or simply keep Americans from trusting the count. The administration has not disclosed how much material could be made public.

In July 2024, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence named Russia, China and Iran as the principal foreign actors it was tracking as likely to try to influence that year’s election. By late July, it said foreign actors were adjusting to political developments to promote narratives meant to undermine democratic institutions and sow discord. In late October 2024, it said foreign actors, particularly Russia, Iran and China, remained intent on fanning divisive narratives and undermining confidence in the U.S. democratic system. ODNI released a declassified memorandum on October 22, 2024, about foreign threats after voting ended.

Chinese election-related activity was already publicly documented during the 2024 cycle, including propaganda and disinformation attributed to the People’s Republic of China. The threat is less a matter of ballot tampering than of information warfare, with foreign actors trying to influence elections by shaping narratives and eroding confidence in the process. The Federal Bureau of Investigation considers China’s counterintelligence and economic espionage efforts a grave threat to U.S. economic well-being and democratic values.

The legal backdrop includes Justice Department cases involving Chinese nationals and hackers accused of computer intrusions that targeted political officials and sensitive information. In Michigan in 2024, a Chinese national was accused of illegally registering to vote and casting a ballot before the presidential election.