US President Donald Trump will address the nation on Thursday evening. The occasion for the televised address is the recent declassification of intelligence data concerning investigations into foreign interference in US elections and vulnerabilities in electronic voting systems. However, as experts note, this speech could serve as a tool to repeat old narratives about fraud.

A "Future-Proof" Strategy

Analysts believe that the Republican president is using this moment to lay the foundation for challenging the results of future elections. If Democrats regain control of Congress in the November midterm elections, Trump may attempt to undermine their position by once again claiming the illegitimacy of the elections.

There is a serious risk that the administration will repeat the 2020 scenario. Previously, numerous courts, ballot audits, and the Department of Justice found no evidence of widespread fraud or the use of voting machines for fraudulent purposes. Furthermore, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, along with other agencies, officially declared the 2020 elections "the most secure in US history".

Constitutional Crisis and Federal Control

Relying on constant claims of "rigged" elections, the Trump administration has been striving for over a year to increase federal oversight of the electoral process and change the voting procedure itself. Lawyers warn that such actions limit the powers of the states and may directly violate the US Constitution.

Democrats and election security experts express concern that the White House plans to actively intervene in the November races to maintain Republican control of Congress.

The Secret Group and John Solomon

Reports indicate that a special task force was created in the White House to investigate the 2020 elections. Journalist John Solomon, a former Fox News correspondent, was brought in to work on this project. Solomon requested access to documents related to an analysis that contradicts official US intelligence conclusions.

In 2021, the US intelligence community concluded that there was no evidence that foreign powers were able to alter "any technical aspect" of the voting. The unclassified version of the assessment contained the following findings:

  • Russian President Vladimir Putin sanctioned influence operations aimed at increasing votes for Trump and undermining confidence in the electoral process.
  • China considered conducting similar operations but ultimately decided not to intervene.
  • Iran conducted a covert influence campaign to undermine Trump's candidacy.

This comprehensive report was prepared by the National Intelligence Council with the participation of the CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the National Security Agency.