President Trump addresses the nation in a primetime broadcast

Vice President JD Vance (L) and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend the primetime address by U.S. President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026 in Washington, DC.

President Donald Trump arrives to address the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on July 16, 2026. Since his 2024 reelection, Trump has worked to gain unprecedented federal control of elections through a series of moves, including firing key leaders of the federal Election Assistance Commission, a bipartisan panel that helps local election officials administer elections. The president also has been urging lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act.

President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on July 16, 2026.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio attends an address to the nation by U.S. President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026 in Washington, DC.

President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on July 16, 2026. President Donald Trump said in his White House address that China has been trying to make sure he didn't get elected — or reelected — long before the 2020 election that he claims was hacked by Beijing to help his rival, Joe Biden. "The cover-up of this colossal security breach is even more disturbing in light of the additional information showing that China engaged in other election-related activities to undermine my first administration and our 2020 campaign," Trump said. "They did not want, they just didn't want it, (and) they fought like hell not to have it, Donald Trump to win, and for good reason."

President Donald Trump is seen on the screen of a camera as he addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on July 16, 2026. Trump accused the so-called "deep state" within the U.S. government of concealing information he claims showed China meddled in the 2020 election."Those responsible for sounding the alarm instead kept the information secret and hidden," Trump said in an extraordinary accusation against his own intelligence community when he was president in 2020. "They did not disclose to me as president or to anyone else, and to the best of our knowledge, they did not inform Congress – in fact, all they kept saying is, 'This is the most secure election in the history of our country,' " Trump said.

President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026 in Washington, DC.

A television screen showing President Donald Trump's address to the nation is seen in an office at the White House in Washington, DC on July 16, 2026.

President Donald Trump gestures after addressing the nation from the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC on July 16, 2026. President Trump said Americans have for years been "blatantly lied to" about the security of election infrastructure including voting machines and ballot counting systems.The claims echo Trump has previously made, but the president cited a new intelligence assessment that he said states, "We judge that the Untitled States adversaries, including at a minimum Russia. China, Iran, North Korea, as well as non-state groups, have the capability to compromise U.S. election infrastructure."

Attendees stand and applaud after an address by President Donald Trump to the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026 in Washington, DC.

President Donald Trump points to attendees after delivering an address to the nation from the White House on July 16, 2026.