- Trump declassified intelligence alleging vast Chinese election data breach.
- Allegations contradict 2021 intelligence assessment finding no interference evidence.
- China vehemently denied interference amid sensitive US-China relations.
US President Donald Trump on Thursday declassified intelligence that he said showed Chinese interference in US elections, alleging that Beijing obtained 220 million American voter files in what he described as “the largest compromise of election data in history.”
According to the White House, the alleged breach began during the 2020 election cycle and resulted in China’s acquisition of voter records containing names, addresses and other information used for voter registration.
“This data loss presents an unprecedented election security nightmare,” Trump said during a 25-minute address in which he sought to place election security back at the centre of the political debate ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Trump Renews Election Security Push
Trump used the speech to reiterate his calls for stricter election laws, urging fellow Republicans in Congress to pass legislation introducing new voter identification and citizenship requirements. He has long argued that tighter safeguards are needed, although longstanding findings have concluded that voter fraud in US elections is rare.
The president also alleged that members of the US intelligence community deliberately withheld information about the extent of China’s activities involving US voter data.
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Assessment Found No Evidence Of Vote Manipulation
Trump’s claims stand in contrast to an unclassified 2021 assessment by the US intelligence community, which found no indication that any foreign actor attempted or succeeded in altering “any technical aspect” of the 2020 presidential election, including voter registrations, ballots, vote tabulations or election results.
The assessment was conducted under John Ratcliffe, who served as Trump’s director of national intelligence at the time and is now CIA director.
The cover page of the report states that its classified version was briefed to Trump, senior administration officials, congressional leaders and intelligence committees on January 7, 2021, shortly before the end of his first presidential term.
China Rejects Allegations
Responding to Trump’s claims, Liu Chang, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, denied any involvement by Beijing.
“China has never and will never interfere in the presidential elections of the U.S.,” Liu said.
Ahead of Trump’s address, some White House officials expressed concern that releasing the intelligence related to China could be misleading, Reuters reported, citing sources.
The renewed accusations against Beijing also come at a sensitive time in US-China relations, which had stabilised after last year’s costly trade dispute. Trump is expected to seek a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in September to discuss improving bilateral trade ties.
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Election Claims Remain Under Scrutiny
Trump has continued to question the integrity of US elections since his 2020 defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, repeatedly claiming the election was rigged.
He has also promoted claims that mail-in voting is vulnerable to fraud, voting machines are insecure and non-citizen voting is widespread, despite repeated findings to the contrary by election officials and independent reviews.
