WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is scheduled to deliver a nationally televised primetime address Thursday night that he says will focus in part on elections, raising the possibility that he will again discuss election integrity as Republicans push for stricter federal voting legislation ahead of the November midterm elections.
Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump offered few details about the 9 p.m. address but described it as containing “really big news.” He said free and fair elections would be a central topic while indicating that he would also address other issues.
The speech comes as the administration faces a series of domestic and foreign policy challenges, including efforts to end the conflict with Iran and scrutiny following recent deadly shootings involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
Election Policy Expected to Be a Central Theme
Trump has made election policy a major focus of his second term, backing legislation that would require voter identification and tighten rules governing mail-in voting. With control of Congress at stake in the midterm elections, the administration has continued to promote election security as a legislative priority.
Although the White House has not outlined the substance of Thursday’s address, Trump’s recent public comments have centered on allegations of election irregularities.
During an interview with Newsmax on Monday, Trump repeated allegations of voter fraud in the Los Angeles mayoral primary. He claimed Republican Spencer Pratt lost because of fraudulent voting and criticized California’s extended vote-counting process. Federal prosecutors announced last month that they had opened fraud investigations in California after Trump publicly raised those allegations.
Election Claims Continue to Shape Trump’s Messaging
Trump has questioned aspects of the U.S. electoral system since his first presidential campaign.
In 2016, he declined to say before Election Day whether he would accept a defeat to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. After winning the election, he created a presidential commission on election integrity to examine claims of widespread voter fraud affecting the popular vote. The commission was later disbanded without finding evidence of widespread voter fraud.
After losing the 2020 presidential election to Democrat Joe Biden, Trump repeatedly claimed the election had been stolen, including challenging Biden’s narrow victory in Georgia. He urged Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes,” the number needed to overturn Biden’s victory in the state.
Trump and several allies were later indicted in Georgia over efforts related to the 2020 election. The charges were later dropped.
Repeated audits, recounts and election reviews—including investigations conducted by Republican election officials and by Trump’s attorney general during his first administration—found no evidence of widespread fraud that would have changed the outcome of the 2020 election.
Ahead of the 2024 election, Trump again questioned the integrity of the electoral process while saying he would accept the results if the election were conducted fairly. After returning to office, he appointed several officials who have publicly supported his claims regarding the 2020 election.
Administration Continues Election Policy Push
Election regulation has remained a recurring priority during Trump’s second term.
The president has repeatedly said he won the White House “three times” while urging Congress to approve nationwide voting reforms. He has also criticized states that broadly permit voting by mail and questioned vote-counting procedures in several jurisdictions.
Earlier this year, FBI agents executed search warrants at election offices in Fulton County, Georgia, seizing materials connected to the 2020 election. Tulsi Gabbard, then serving as director of national intelligence, traveled to Atlanta during the execution of the warrants.
Trump also said he contacted a U.S. attorney in California and requested closer scrutiny of that state’s gubernatorial primary while ballots were still being counted.
Last week, the president removed the remaining members of the bipartisan U.S. Election Assistance Commission. The commission had opposed proposals requiring prospective voters to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.
Democrats Respond
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore criticized the prospect of Trump revisiting the 2020 election during his national address while campaigning in Georgia for Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial candidate Keisha Lance Bottoms.
Moore said voters were tired of revisiting an election whose outcome had already been determined and described Trump’s continued focus on the issue as politically motivated.
Trump’s address Thursday is expected to provide the administration’s clearest explanation yet of its election priorities as Congress considers proposals that could reshape federal voting standards ahead of the midterm elections.
This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.
Article Topics: Donald Trump | Election Security | Voting Rules | Midterm Elections | Federal Legislation | Election Assistance Commission | Georgia Election
