WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is preparing to speak to the nation Thursday evening, and he has indicated the address will cover elections and voting machines — signaling a possible return to the unproven claims he has repeatedly made about past Republican losses, especially his own defeat in 2020.
Trump’s continued focus on his loss to Democrat Joe Biden six years ago, along with theories about that election that have been thoroughly debunked, remains a recurring theme whenever he addresses other topics. Using a primetime presidential address to highlight such politically charged and conspiratorial subject matter reflects how Trump has used his second term to push past established norms while revisiting long-standing grievances.
Trump has kept details about the speech sparse. When a reporter asked him Tuesday whether it would deal with “election machines and integrity,” Trump confirmed it would “concern that subject” and added that “we’ll have a couple of other things to say also.”
He went further, saying he has “really, really big news” and that “our country has to shape up. But that’s what we’re going to be talking about Thursday.” He also stated that “it doesn’t get bigger because without free and fair elections, you don’t have a country.”
Despite Trump’s own comments, the White House on Wednesday suggested the speech’s content could still shift before airtime.
“As usual, anonymous sources are speculating about what President Trump will say during his speech on Thursday evening. The truth is, nobody knows yet what President Trump will ultimately say, which is why everyone should tune in,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a written statement.
Primetime addresses to the nation by a sitting president are generally saved for major national events or significant milestones.
Trump’s most recent primetime address came in April, when he spoke about the Iran war, roughly a month after it began. At the time, he said the U.S. would achieve its goals “very shortly” and that “the hard part is done, so it should be easy.” That conflict has continued, however, with exchanges between U.S. and Iranian forces intensifying in recent days.
Trump also delivered a politically driven primetime speech in December, in which he placed blame for difficult economic conditions on Democrats.
It was not immediately clear whether major television networks plan to broadcast Thursday’s address. Messages sent to ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC requesting information about their coverage plans were not returned.
Democrats responded by warning that Trump is attempting to resurrect false narratives about stolen past elections as a way to undermine the credibility of the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, in which his Republican Party faces significant challenges.
“Tomorrow night, Trump is going to use a primetime address to stoke misleading claims about our elections in order to justify interfering in our midterms. It’s on all of us to follow the facts and not accept his constant stream of misdirections and lies,” Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner wrote in a statement posted to X.
“Trump is again trying to drum up baseless election conspiracies ahead of the November elections,” New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim wrote on X. “Americans are tired of endless war, skyrocketing gas prices, and a president that isn’t looking out for them. Voters will make their voices heard, whether Trump wants them to or not.”
On Capitol Hill Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance pushed back when asked whether he would urge Trump to focus Thursday’s remarks on the November midterms rather than revisit past elections. Repeating the reporter’s phrasing, Vance said, “‘The unfounded claims,’” then added, “You’re basically assuming an answer in the very question that you ask.”
Vance went on to say, “The president is going to talk about a number of things tomorrow night. I’m obviously not going to get ahead of his remarks. But we can talk about a number of the American people’s problems. We can solve a number of the American people’s problems.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters he has no advance knowledge of what Trump plans to say, but added, “the only thing I can tell you is that we are focused on the 2026 election, at least I am, and I think most of my colleagues are.”
