President Donald Trump gave a nationwide address on what his administration has discovered regarding election security compromises dating back to the 2020 election.In addition to foreign influence, Trump said the Department of Homeland Security had identified hundreds of thousands of non-citizens registered to vote in a number of states.Since the address, national security experts have raised concerns about threats posed by the Chinese Communist Party following the White House’s release of declassified intelligence records concerning alleged Chinese influence operations and vulnerabilities in the U.S. election system.
During his nearly 26-minute primetime address on Thursday, Trump presented several categories of declassified documents that he said detailed Chinese efforts to influence American elections, the acquisition of U.S. voter data, vulnerabilities in electronic voting infrastructure, what he described as a mishandled Michigan voter registration investigation, and a Department of Homeland Security review that he said identified hundreds of thousands of noncitizens registered to vote in federal elections.
“China’s efforts to influence the 2020 election are another reminder that the Chinese Communist Party is pursuing a broad strategy to infiltrate American society, not just our politics, but our critical infrastructure, universities, technology, supply chains, and state institutions,” Michael Lucci, CEO and founder of State Armor, told Breitbart News.
“They even used financial leverage to turn American journalists and businesses against the President,” he continued.
“As I’ve testified before Congress, the CCP exploits vulnerabilities across our federal system to collect intelligence, shape decision-making, and position itself to undermine U.S. security and resilience,” he added.
“We must be laser-focused on fighting back by securing our elections, protecting our critical infrastructure and data, and empowering every level of government to defend the American way of life.”
Mike Martin, a former senior national security official and National Security Council spokesman during the first Trump administration, also weighed in.
“President Trump and [CIA] Director [John] Ratcliffe deserve tremendous credit for bringing this intelligence to light and refusing to let these threats stay hidden from the American people,” he told the outlet.
“Communist China remains one of the greatest threats to our nation’s security, prosperity, and way of life,” he said.
“We must never allow the Chinese Communist Party, or any foreign government, to influence our elections, undermine our sovereignty, or dictate how Americans live,” Martin added.
Cale Brown, chairman of Polaris National Security and a former principal deputy spokesperson at the Department of State during the first Trump administration, credited Trump for his “leadership” on exposing the dangers.
“President Trump’s leadership was vital in shaping the current bipartisan consensus about the threats posed by the CCP,” Brown told Breitbart.
“While he’s sought to maintain an amicable relationship with Xi Jinping, he’s not shied away from telling the truth, as he did with the origins of COVID, and now with the declassified intelligence surrounding China’s designs on our electoral process,” he said Friday.
“Last night’s revelations should galvanize our resolve to combat the many ways in which the CCP seeks to undermine America’s strength,” Brown added.
“Failure to act, complacency on our part, works to serve Beijing’s interests and against those of the free world.”
Trump said his administration was notifying states whose election data had been compromised and would work with state and local officials to address technical vulnerabilities before the November midterm elections.
According to a declassified White House document, China compromised more than 200 million voter records and accessed voter rolls in at least 18 states, publicly identifying 15 states and the District of Columbia.
Trump also said a Department of Homeland Security review identified approximately 278,000 noncitizens registered to vote in federal elections, with about half of them in California.
The state automatically mails ballots to every registered voter while routinely failing to update voter registration lists.