The speech delivered by Donald Trump on Thursday evening regarding the alleged vulnerabilities of the American electoral system did not bring new evidence or spectacular revelations. However, the timing and messages conveyed could have significant political implications.
In the context of the approaching 2026 elections, the speech could be seen as an anticipation of how the White House leader could challenge the election results if the Republicans were to lose.
This is the conclusion of an analysis published by CNN, which reviews the main messages of the speech and their political implications.
Declassified documents do not bring new evidence
The central point of the speech was the release of recently declassified documents, which Trump claimed had been hidden from both him and the public and would demonstrate that the American electoral system is severely vulnerable.
However, according to CNN, a preliminary analysis of the documents shows that they mostly describe vulnerabilities already known and information that appeared in an assessment by the American intelligence community published as early as 2021.
Furthermore, some of the publicly released documents seem to have not been fully analyzed before declassification, and Trump himself admitted that some represent "raw intelligence."
Among the main accusations made by the president was that China had obtained hundreds of millions of files with data on American voters.
However, the 2021 intelligence assessment already mentioned that Beijing had been collecting information on voters, parties, and public opinion for years to better understand American politics. At the same time, the report concluded that there was no evidence that China had actually intervened in the 2020 elections.
CNN emphasizes that even in Thursday's speech, Trump did not present evidence that any vote had been altered or that the outcome of any election had been changed.
In addition, conservative journalist John Solomon, who collaborated with the White House in releasing the documents, later stated that American intelligence services had "zero evidence" that a foreign power had altered any votes in the 2020, 2022, or 2024 elections.
A possible message for the 2026 elections
In CNN's view, the true significance of the speech lies not in the documents presented but in the political message conveyed.
Given that Trump has claimed for years, without evidence, that the 2020 elections were stolen from him, and these claims contributed to the violence on January 6, 2021, the American outlet considers that the speech could indicate his strategy for the 2026 elections.
Trump did not suggest that the federal administration would directly intervene in the organization of state elections, but he described the electoral system as "so flawed and vulnerable that no one can defend it."
Furthermore, he stated that American elections are "worse than in any third-world country."
The president also emphasized the adoption of the SAVE America Act, which would require voters to prove American citizenship when registering to vote and introduce stricter rules for voter identification.
Trump says the law is essential for election security. "To solve this election security crisis, Congress must pass the SAVE America Act. The only reason you wouldn't do it is because you want to cheat, because your policies are so bad and your candidates so weak that you can't win elections any other way," Trump declared.
CNN notes that the bill is unlikely to be adopted, including due to opposition within the Republican Party. Therefore, the American outlet believes that if the law is not passed, Trump could invoke this in the event of a Republican electoral failure in 2026.
The speech was immediately followed by reactions from Democrats. The 24 Democratic governors issued a joint statement accusing Trump of trying to intimidate voters and undermine confidence in elections.
"It is deeply alarming that President Trump continues to try to undermine free and fair elections. No matter how many lies and conspiracy theories are spread, they cannot change the fact that our country's elections have repeatedly proven to be safe and fair," they stated.
Few references to the 2020 elections
Although it was expected that Trump would extensively reiterate accusations regarding the 2020 election, the speech contained relatively few direct references to that episode.
The president mentioned alleged voter registration fraud in Michigan, which he claimed had been covered up, and announced that he would ask FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate the case.
However, CNN reminds that this information has been known for several years, and officials appointed by Trump in his first term, including former Attorney General William Barr, stated that the allegations of election theft in 2020 were not supported by evidence.
Additionally, courts that reviewed numerous lawsuits filed after the elections dismissed almost all fraud allegations.
Trump once again criticized officials who described the 2020 election as "the safest in America's history" and claimed that representatives of the "deep state" had hidden the truth about that election.
The speech also included false statements
Trump's speech put broadcasters in a delicate situation: whether to broadcast live an intervention on a subject about which the president repeatedly made false statements. Some television stations, including CNN, chose not to air the speech in prime time. Instead, White House spokesperson Steven Cheung accused them of being "cowardly" and of "not wanting people to know the truth."
However, CNN notes that just moments after the start of the speech, Trump made false statements claiming that he took office in the conditions of the highest inflation in the last 48 years and that the Biden administration allowed over 11,000 criminals to enter the US. According to the American outlet, neither of these statements is true.
At the same time, CNN points out that the speech had a pronounced political character. Trump repeatedly claimed that those opposing the SAVE America Act did so because they wanted to cheat in elections.
A speech primarily addressed to his own electorate
CNN appreciates that Trump's speech was primarily aimed at his supporters.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in April showed that only 31% of Americans believe that the 2020 elections were stolen from Trump, while 64% reject this idea.
However, opinions are more divided regarding the claim that non-American citizens would vote in large numbers in US elections. Nearly half of the respondents agreed with this statement, although, according to CNN, there is very little evidence that such a phenomenon represents a real issue.
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