Trump Says China Obtained Information on 220 Million U.S. Voters, Releases Related Classified Material

[Financial News, New York = Reporter Lee Byung-chul] Donald Trump, the President of the United States, has thrust election security back into the spotlight by abruptly releasing classified information related to allegations of Chinese interference in U.S. elections. President Trump claimed that China had obtained personal information on 220 million U.S. voters and that intelligence agencies had deliberately downplayed and concealed the matter.
In a roughly 25-minute address to the nation at The White House on the 16th local time, President Trump said, "I decided to release classified information to protect the fairness and integrity of U.S. elections."
He claimed, "China illegally obtained voter information on 220 million Americans, including names, addresses and voter registration details," and added, "Some U.S. intelligence agencies did not properly inform the public about the scale of China's activities."
President Trump also said, "I will also declassify materials that show the shocking vulnerability of America's election infrastructure," adding, "The public will learn facts that had not been disclosed until now."
He repeatedly raised the possibility of Chinese interference in elections and stressed, "The United States must hold the safest and fairest elections in the world," and "The current system must be improved."
President Trump also urged Congress to quickly pass the SAVE America Act, which is pending in the legislature. The bill would require voters to present photo identification at the polls and prove citizenship during voter registration. It also includes a provision requiring state governments to share voter registration information with the federal government.
He said, "U.S. elections must be fixed," and added, "Without free and fair elections, a nation cannot exist."
China immediately pushed back. Liu Qiang, a spokesperson for the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America, said, "China has never interfered in a U.S. presidential election and will not do so in the future."
This address was his first public speech to the nation ahead of the midterm elections in November. President Trump made election security a key issue and again emphasized the need to reform the electoral system.




pride@fnnews.com Reporter Lee Byung-chul Reporter