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President Trump used his primetime address on Thursday night to revive his claims of foreign interference in U.S. elections, making headlines as lawmakers weigh the fallout from his push to overhaul the nation’s voting system.
During the address, Trump claimed that China allegedly obtained hundreds of millions of U.S. voter records while seeking to interfere in the 2020 presidential election, arguing newly declassified documents exposed sweeping vulnerabilities in the nation’s elections.
The White House published the documents on a new “election integrity” page, which included intelligence assessments, declassified FBI files and China’s alleged acquisition of voter data.
But the records did not appear to substantiate his claims that foreign governments altered or interfered with the outcome of the 2020 election, where Trump was defeated by former President Biden, prompting immediate backlash from Beijing, election experts and Democrats.
China dismissed the allegations from Trump as “groundless,” calling the claims “entirely fabricated” and insisting it had no intention to meddle with other nations’ elections.
“The relevant allegations by the U.S. are entirely fabricated and aimed at vilifying China,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday during a daily briefing. “We have no interest in interfering in US elections and have never done so.”
Lin urged Washington to stop blaming China for issues with U.S. elections, warning the accusations risked further straining relations between the two countries. The comments come ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s planned visit to the U.S. in September.
“We urge the U.S. to stop making an issue of China in its elections and do something conducive to China-U.S. relations,” Lin said.
Democrats also condemned the claims of election fraud, accusing Trump of attempting to undermine confidence in U.S. elections by reviving false claims of his defeat in 2020.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said he was “embarrassed” by what he described as “a whole series of falsehoods” aimed at weakening Americans’ faith in the electoral system.
He pointed to the irony that Trump’s own appointees, including CIA Director John Ratcliffe, “were in charge of the intelligence community” at the time, yet were not able to find substantial evidence to back up the claims.
The Virginia Democrat also noted that in many states, voter registration records are legally available for purchase.
“You know what? You can buy these voter files. There’s no need to hack,” he said, adding that he purchases voter files from his state “on a regular basis.”
Several major broadcast networks, including CNN, NBC and ABC, declined to air the speech live while others such as CBS and Fox aired it with disclaimers.
One CNN host, Michael Smerconish, blasted his own network for refusing to air the primetime speech, saying viewers should be trusted to make their own conclusions about the president’s remarks.
Trump also used the address to add renewed pressure on Congress to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, a sweeping elections bill that would require proof of citizenship to vote in elections while imposing other voter identification requirements.
Trump has repeatedly described the legislation as a top legislative priority, and its numerous stalls in Congress led Trump to abruptly cancel the signing ceremony of an unrelated bipartisan housing bill, which later became law without his signature or veto.
Tensions in the Senate continued as Republicans weighed the political vacuum left by the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), one of Trump’s closest allies in Congress and among the Senate’s most influential voices on national security and foreign policy.
His death sparked a rapidly developing race to replace him amid a contested midterm election year, as Republicans hope to hold onto their majority in both chambers of Congress.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) appointed Graham’s sister, Darline Graham Nardone, to temporarily fill the vacancy, and Trump has since urged her to seek the seat permanently after endorsing her.
Republicans are also grappling with their fragile majority in the wake of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) hospitalization on June 14, which has sparked public outcries for transparency and updates on his health, including from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D).
In the latest news on the Iran war, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei accused the U.S. of repeatedly violating its fragile ceasefire agreement, saying Trump’s signature on the 14-point memorandum of understanding was “utterly worthless and devoid of credibility.”
His remarks follow an exchange of tit-for-tat strikes between the nation and renewed hostilities in the region, leading to closures in the Strait of Hormuz as Iran continued to attack vessels attempting to pass.
Conversations on the Senate confirmation hearing for acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will also likely be discussed on the Sunday shows, where Blanche faced questions from both Democrats and Republicans on issues that occurred in the Justice Department during his tenure.
Democrats pressed Blanche, who was once Trump’s personal attorney, over whether he could independently lead the department, while outgoing Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) questioned him over the $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund that could provide payouts to Trump allies.
There will also likely be conversations on the latest fatal ICE shootings in Texas and Maine, which prompted demands from Democrats to investigate the Department of Homeland Security’s vetting and training processes for new agents after it was discovered that one of the officers involved in the shooting, David Brouillette, had a history of mental health issues and violent behavior.
See the full list of guests on the Sunday morning news shows below:
ABC “This Week”: Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.).
CBS “Face the Nation”: Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, White House border czar Tom Homan.
CNN “State of the Union”: Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Abdul El-Sayed (D), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-Ill.).
FOX “Fox News Sunday”: Sen. Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas).
FOX “Sunday Morning Futures”: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.).
NewsNation “The Hill Sunday”: Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.).
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THE HILL TV Rising: July 17, 2026 by TheHill.com 07/17/26 11:06 AM ET THE HILL TV / 1 day ago 
