WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump used a nationally televised address to call for new voting reforms and renewed congressional action on election legislation, while repeating claims about vulnerabilities in the U.S. electoral system that election officials and independent experts have disputed or said were not supported by evidence.
Speaking from the White House on Thursday evening, Trump said his administration had declassified intelligence documents that he said highlighted foreign efforts to target U.S. election infrastructure and argued Congress should pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of U.S. citizenship for voter registration in federal elections. The White House said the address was intended to outline the administration's election integrity agenda and promote additional safeguards for future elections.
Trump also alleged that foreign adversaries and weaknesses in election systems had undermined public confidence in past elections. He called for expanded voter eligibility verification, tighter controls on mail voting and greater federal coordination with states on election administration.
State election officials, voting security specialists and outside experts challenged several of the president's assertions, saying he did not present new evidence demonstrating widespread voter fraud or that election outcomes had been altered. Multiple independent reviews and court proceedings following the 2020 election found no evidence of fraud on a scale that would have changed the certified results.
The speech drew swift political responses. Republican allies praised Trump's emphasis on election security and urged Congress to advance the proposed legislation, while Democratic lawmakers accused the president of reviving previously disputed claims and risking further erosion of public confidence in elections.
The address came as the administration has increased pressure on states to cooperate with federal election initiatives, including expanded use of the Department of Homeland Security's citizenship verification tools. Some state officials have questioned the legal basis for portions of the administration's approach, while civil rights organizations have raised concerns that additional voting requirements could affect eligible voters.
The White House said federal agencies would continue reviewing the declassified materials and pursuing election-related investigations where appropriate. Election officials in several states maintained that existing safeguards, including paper ballot records, post-election audits and bipartisan certification procedures, remain in place ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
