Donald Trump’s address: 5 big reveals as President makes extraordinary claims | World | News
Donald Trump used a primetime TV address to the nation to claim ‘sinister’ meddling by China (Image: Getty)
Everything you need to know about Donald Trump’s address from the White House
- Trump used his primetime address to announce the immediate declassification of intelligence regarding “shocking vulnerabilities” in US voting infrastructure. He asserted these files reveal levels of foreign interference and hacking risks never thought possible, claiming the information had been covered up for years.
- During his speech, the US President directly claimed China rigged the 2020 election, in which he lost to Joe Biden. He alleged Beijing illicitly accessed highly sensitive voter registry databases, though official audits and intelligence reports from his own first term previously found no evidence of foreign manipulation. Critics accuse the President of trying to sow confusion and spread misinformation in the run up to crucial polls in November.
- Trump lashed out at major US broadcasters ABC and NBC after they refused to air his address live on TV. Labelling them “fake news”, he claimed they were hiding the truth and demanded the licence revocation of these allegedly “corrupt” networks for participating in a plot to continue election fraud.
- Viewers on social media raised concerns about the 80-year-old president’s health as he visibly struggled to read the teleprompter. He appeared to speak with a strained, hoarse voice, periodically paused to clear his throat, and was accused by critics of slurring his words.
- Coinciding with the address, legal filings revealed Trump has dropped defamation claims against the BBC‘s commercial and production arms. However, he is still prosecuting his case against the main broadcaster over a Panorama documentary editing dispute, seeking £7.4billion ($10bn) in damages.
