On Thursday night, President Donald Trump announced the release of newly declassified intelligence that his administration says shows China carried out a large-scale effort to obtain U.S. voter information and interfere in American elections.
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The president also called for new investigations into why this intelligence was allegedly kept from senior officials during his first term. He urged Congress to pass election integrity legislation aimed at strengthening the nation’s voting system.
From The Epoch Times:
The president outlined the declassification and release of multiple groups of documents, including assessments he said reveal “a cyber threat aimed at the very heart of our democracy”—vulnerabilities in election databases and other systems, including electronic voting machines.
“This data loss presents an unprecedented election security nightmare,” he said, referring to the information China obtained.
Citing reporting from the CIA, the president outlined what he described as a multi-year influence campaign by China during his first term aimed at American companies and journalists.
According to President Trump, the newly released documents show that China illegally obtained about 220 million U.S. voter files beginning during the 2020 election cycle. He said the stolen information included names, addresses, phone numbers, and political party affiliations. A White House transparency report says China gained access to voter roll data in 18 states. One of the declassified documents reviewed by The Epoch Times also describes how a China-linked actor allegedly used commercial websites to collect voter information from six states.
President Trump also shared findings from a Department of Homeland Security investigation showing that about 278,000 noncitizens were registered on U.S. voter rolls. He said the investigation did not include several states that have challenged his administration’s election security efforts in court.
Following the release of the documents, President Trump directed the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and other agencies to investigate why the intelligence was allegedly withheld during his first administration. He said those responsible should be held accountable if any wrongdoing is found.
The president ended his address by again calling on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act. The bill would require proof of citizenship when registering to vote and photo identification at the polls. Earlier in the evening, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced that the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security had launched a new website highlighting the administration’s election integrity efforts.
Democratic leaders challenged President Trump’s conclusions. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the SAVE America Act, while former Vice President Kamala Harris reaffirmed her position that the 2020 election was not stolen.
Republican lawmakers welcomed the president’s announcement and called for greater accountability. Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Ark.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, urged CIA Director John Ratcliffe to hold those involved accountable if intelligence was improperly withheld. Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) said the Chinese Communist Party remains one of America’s greatest adversaries and vowed that efforts to influence U.S. elections would not be tolerated. Rep. Ben Cline (R-Va.) also renewed his support for the SAVE America Act, saying Americans deserve confidence that elections are secure and that only U.S. citizens are voting in them.
God calls us to value truth and to seek justice. Secure elections help protect the freedoms Americans enjoy and strengthen confidence in our system of government. As more information comes to light and investigations continue, let us pray that the truth is fully revealed, that public officials act with integrity, and that America’s elections remain secure from foreign interference.
How are you praying for election integrity, government accountability, and wisdom for our nation’s leaders? Share your prayers and scriptures in the comments below.
(Excerpt from The Epoch Times. Photo Credit: studioroman via Canva Teams)
