President Donald Trump has claimed his primetime speech from the Oval Office accusing China of meddling in the 2020 election drew “great reviews” and a “big audience,” even as he complained that several major networks did not air it live. Speaking without providing evidence, Trump said American elections face “shocking vulnerabilities” and alleged that “deep state” actors within the US intelligence community withheld crucial information from his daily briefings.
The White House released a tranche of newly-declassified documents to bolster his claims, but at least one showed Trump was the beneficiary of election hacking by Russia, not the victim. China’s Foreign Ministry responded by saying the allegations have no basis in fact, while California Governor Gavin Newsom called the address “the ramblings of a mad king.”
“Trump claims his election speech got 'great reviews' despite no evidence, then heads to FIFA reception.”
With 109 days until the next congressional elections, Trump used the rare televised address to pressure the Republican-led Congress to pass partisan voting restriction legislation he says is essential to keeping his party in power. He accused Beijing of being involved in the “manufacture of illegal ballots” and of paying journalists to write negative stories about him — again offering no evidence.
On Friday afternoon, Trump is set to travel to New York City to attend a FIFA reception at Trump Tower. The event follows this year’s World Cup tournament, which, according to a recent cartoon analysis, has brought FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump ever closer.
Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of election meddling come as he prepares to deepen his relationship with football’s governing body, an organisation often criticised for its own opaque dealings. The juxtaposition underscores a week of defiance and self-congratulation for a president who insists he was wronged by foreign powers despite evidence to the contrary.
