US President Donald Trump has delivered a primetime address featuring major "revelations" about election security, claiming China carried out "largest compromise of US election data in history" by acquiring voter files of 220 million Americans in 2020.
Trump on Thursday said he would declassify intelligence on "shocking vulnerabilities" in the system — and escalating years of claims that his 2020 defeat was due to widespread fraud.
"Over a period of years, starting during the 2020 election cycle, the People's Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history, resulting in China's illicit acquisition of 220 million US voter files," Trump said in a televised prime-time address from the White House.
He said the information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, political party preferences and other "sensitive" data needed to register to vote, calling it "an unprecedented election security nightmare."
Trump added "those responsible for sounding the alarm instead kept the information secret and hidden," adding that it was not disclosed to him or "anyone else," including Congress.
Coinciding with his address, the White House released a collection of newly declassified documents.
The US leader said some of the declassified documents the White House released on its website suggest that China "fought like hell" to prevent him from winning in 2020 against Joe Biden.
"The Chinese government wanted US president to lose the next election, and the reason they wanted me to lose is because they knew I was wise to them," Trump said.
He claimed US intelligence agencies, including the CIA, withheld information about Chinese election interference from him during his first term and downplayed it, adding he has directed the DOJ, FBI, CIA, and Office of the Director of National Intelligence to investigate the matter further.
Accuses media of being 'part of a plot'
His speech also covered broader election integrity issues, such as voting machine vulnerabilities and the need for measures like the Save America Act, proof of citizenship, voter ID, limits on mail-in ballots.
ABC, NBC and CNN decided not to air the remarks live. CBS said it was " airing a special report" during the address.
Trump said that US networks that were not airing a speech should have their licenses revoked, implying that they are involved in attempts to rig elections.
"They and others in the media are part of a plot. Fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses. They use our public multi-billion-dollar-in-value airwaves for absolutely no money. They pay nothing," he said, calling out ABC and NBC by name.
Ahead of his address to the nation, Trump had promised "big news" on a topic that he has revived ahead of crucial midterm elections in November in which his Republican Party could lose control of Congress.
His last major televised address to the nation was on April 1, when he gave his first full public justification of the Iran war more than a month after the US-Israeli military attacks began.
