In a wide-ranging, primetime televised address to the nation on Thursday night, US President Donald Trump declared the immediate declassification and release of sensitive intelligence files, asserting they expose severe, long-hidden security vulnerabilities in the nation’s election infrastructure.

Opening his remarks by framing his administration as a turnaround from "economic and social disaster," Trump highlighted recent economic developments - noting that "more Americans are working today than ever before" and that "inflation saw the largest monthly decline in more than six years."

He praised provisions in his landmark tax legislation, including exemptions for tips, overtime, and Social Security benefits, while touting lower prescription drug costs and tax-free child investment accounts.

Turning to national security, the president stated that border admissions had fallen to zero over the past 14 months and pointed to international developments in Venezuela and Iran, on which he said, “We are winning big in Iran. You will see the fruits of that labor very, very shortly".

However, he warned that domestic progress remains at risk without total confidence in federal elections, emphasizing, "If there can be no trust, there can be no greatness. And that's very simple: no trust, no greatness."

"Tonight I'm announcing the immediate declassification and release of critical intelligence revealing shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure," Trump said, adding that the material gathered by the White House Government Transparency Task Force and intelligence advisors is being made available on the White House website.

The president outlined five primary disclosures contained in the newly released documents.

According to Trump, intelligence shows that starting in the 2020 cycle, the People's Republic of China obtained 220 million US voter records - including names, addresses, and party affiliations - creating an "unprecedented election security nightmare."

Trump accused members of the intelligence community of actively concealing China's meddling from both the presidency and Congress. Citing CIA documents from mid-2018 and 2019, he asserted that Beijing sought to undermine his administration by leveraging US business ties and paying journalists to produce negative coverage, stating, "The Chinese government wanted US president to lose the next election, and the reason they wanted me to lose is because they knew I was wise to them."

He further cited FBI files suggesting Chinese attempts to manufacture illegal ballots, alleging that analysts "deliberately massaged the presidential daily briefing to withhold information regarding Chinese activities" and noting that one FBI official wrote she was running "a shadow government" to suppress the intelligence.

The president pointed to assessments spanning from January 2020 through June 2026 indicating that centralized election repositories and voting machines remain "extremely exposed to attack" by foreign adversaries, referencing reported digital vote manipulation tactics developed in Venezuela.

Trump highlighted 2020 FBI files regarding a Michigan State Police raid on a Muskegon voter registration operation, alleging that evidence of fraudulent applications paid with gift cards was "slow walked" and suppressed by the Biden Department of Justice.

Citing a Department of Homeland Security analysis of state voter rolls, Trump claimed that approximately 278,000 non-citizens were found registered to vote in federal elections, suggesting the true figure is far higher due to states withholding data.

Addressing network coverage, Trump criticized major broadcasters that opted out of carrying the broadcast live. "In a rare move, NBC and ABC fake news have both said that they would not cover this speech," Trump remarked, adding that "fraud like this should mean a revocation of their licenses" for utilizing public airwaves while concealing election vulnerabilities.

In light of the disclosures, Trump announced that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Department of Justice, FBI, and CIA have been tasked with investigating the alleged intelligence cover-ups, firing responsible personnel, and filing criminal charges where appropriate.

He also confirmed that the Department of Homeland Security will notify affected states regarding non-citizens on voter rolls and conduct briefings on technical voting system patches ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

Closing his address, Trump pointed to delayed vote tallies in California - calling the state's month-long tabulation "worse than any third world country" - and insisted that "mail-in ballots are inherently corrupt." He urged the public to contact their representatives to demand the immediate passage of the SAVE America Act, which would mandate federal photo voter ID, require proof of citizenship to register, and restrict mail-in voting strictly to cases of illness, disability, military service, or travel.

"These reforms are urgently needed to stop the vulnerabilities that I've mentioned," Trump concluded. "Together we will restore faith and confidence in our country, and we will be bigger, better, and stronger than ever before."