{"id":96799,"date":"2026-07-17T00:17:25","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T04:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/what-you-need-to-know-about-trumps-election-fraud-claims\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T00:17:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T04:17:25","slug":"what-you-need-to-know-about-trumps-election-fraud-claims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/what-you-need-to-know-about-trumps-election-fraud-claims\/","title":{"rendered":"What You Need to Know About Trump&#8217;s Election Fraud Claims"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"450\" height=\"287\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784261845008.jpg?resize=450%2C287&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-96798\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784261845008.jpg?w=450&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784261845008.jpg?resize=300%2C191&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n<p>President Donald Trump renewed his effort to raise doubts about U.S. elections on Thursday, releasing declassified intelligence documents he claims reveal widespread fraud and foreign meddling \u2014 even as existing intelligence findings and independent research contradict several of his assertions.<\/p><p>Throughout the first half of 2026, Trump has repeated claims that the 2020 elections were &#8220;rigged&#8221; more than 100 times. He has used those claims to push Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, a restrictive voter ID measure that would impose strict identification requirements on voters and expand federal involvement in elections. The bill has passed the Republican-controlled House of Representatives multiple times with a simple majority, but falls short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster in the Republican-led Senate.<\/p><p><strong>CLAIM 1: China Worked to Help Democrats in Recent Elections<\/strong><\/p><p>Trump accused the Chinese government of attempting to hurt Republican candidates in the 2018 midterm elections and undermine his 2020 reelection bid. He also alleged that Beijing obtained and compromised data on American voters.<\/p><p>A prior U.S. intelligence assessment tells a different story. A 2021 report concluded that while China considered launching influence operations to affect the outcome of the 2020 election, it ultimately chose not to move forward. That assessment was carried out under John Ratcliffe, who served as Trump&#8217;s director of national intelligence at the time and now leads the CIA.<\/p><p>The intelligence report did find that China had been collecting information on U.S. voters, public opinion, and political parties going back to at least 2008. However, the voter data China gathered was not classified, and there is no evidence it was used to change any votes.<\/p><p><strong>CLAIM 2: Venezuela Tampered With Electronic Voting Machines<\/strong><\/p><p>Trump pointed to CIA documents about alleged election manipulation by former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to argue that American voting machines are vulnerable to being hacked. He claimed Maduro&#8217;s government was able to digitally change vote tallies.<\/p><p>A CIA document summarizing intelligence gathered between 2004 and 2020 did find that the Venezuelan government had the technical ability to digitally alter election results.<\/p><p>However, there is no evidence that any such manipulation has taken place in U.S. elections, and Trump himself did not claim these methods were used here. A theory promoted by Trump&#8217;s supporters \u2014 that Maduro&#8217;s government hacked American voting machines in 2020 \u2014 has been thoroughly debunked.<\/p><p><strong>CLAIM 3: Hundreds of Thousands of Non-Citizens Are Registered to Vote<\/strong><\/p><p>Trump stated that a Department of Homeland Security review identified approximately 278,000 non-U.S. citizens registered to vote in federal elections, which would be a violation of federal law. He and his allies have repeatedly cited such figures to argue for stricter voting requirements.<\/p><p>A number of Republican-led states have voluntarily shared private voter registration data with the Trump administration in an effort to identify and remove alleged non-citizens from their rolls. According to Democracy Docket, an online publication focused on election security, the Trump administration has lost 15 lawsuits in which it sought to force other states \u2014 most of them led by Democrats \u2014 to hand over similar data.<\/p><p>Independent research suggests that non-citizen voting is extremely uncommon. The Bipartisan Policy Center found that when states reviewed voter eligibility, only 0.04% of cases involved individuals identified as non-citizens. Election experts have also warned that large-scale efforts to purge voter rolls could result in eligible citizens being wrongly removed from registration lists.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>President Trump declassified intelligence documents Thursday that he says prove election fraud and foreign interference in U.S. elections. However, several of his claims conflict with existing intelligence assessments and independent research. Here&#8217;s a breakdown of the three main allegations and what the evidence actually shows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":96798,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[833],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-96799","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784261845008.jpg?fit=450%2C287&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbtNqq-pbh","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":96729,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/experts-warn-trumps-election-fraud-claims-could-undermine-upcoming-midterms\/","url_meta":{"origin":96799,"position":0},"title":"Experts Warn Trump&#8217;s Election Fraud Claims Could Undermine Upcoming Midterms","author":"Admin","date":"July 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Analysts and election security experts say President Trump's expected speech repeating claims that the 2020 election was stolen could threaten the credibility of future U.S. elections, including the November midterms. Eight experts told Reuters that the 2020 election was among the most thoroughly audited and litigated in modern history, with\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784247390049.jpg?fit=450%2C323&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":95686,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/trump-plans-primetime-address-on-elections-amid-renewed-fraud-claims\/","url_meta":{"origin":96799,"position":1},"title":"Trump Plans Primetime Address on Elections Amid Renewed Fraud Claims","author":"Admin","date":"July 14, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"President Donald Trump is set to deliver a primetime speech Thursday at 9 p.m. focused on elections, with hints of what could be another round of debunked claims about the 2020 presidential race. The address comes as Trump pushes Republicans to pass stricter federal voting laws ahead of November's midterm\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784071960637.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784071960637.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784071960637.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784071960637.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":78967,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/californias-top-legal-official-pushes-back-on-trump-election-fraud-claims\/","url_meta":{"origin":96799,"position":2},"title":"California&#8217;s Top Legal Official Pushes Back on Trump Election Fraud Claims","author":"Admin","date":"June 9, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"California's Attorney General Rob Bonta is responding to President Trump's allegations of voter fraud in the state's primary elections. Trump has questioned the legitimacy of California's primary results without providing evidence to support his claims.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":96757,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/trump-delivers-primetime-address-on-elections-revisits-2020-conspiracy-claims\/","url_meta":{"origin":96799,"position":3},"title":"Trump Delivers Primetime Address on Elections, Revisits 2020 Conspiracy Claims","author":"Admin","date":"July 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"President Donald Trump gave a 24-minute primetime address Thursday focused on elections and voting machines, repeating long-debunked theories about his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. The speech came as Trump pushed Republicans to pass stricter federal voting rules ahead of November's midterm elections. Major networks took different approaches to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784253689732.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784253689732.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784253689732.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784253689732.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784253689732.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":96455,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/trump-plans-primetime-address-focused-on-election-conspiracy-claims\/","url_meta":{"origin":96799,"position":4},"title":"Trump Plans Primetime Address Focused on Election Conspiracy Claims","author":"Admin","date":"July 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"President Trump is scheduled to deliver a national address Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, with elections and voting machines among the stated topics. The speech is expected to revisit debunked theories about his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. This comes as Trump has been pushing Republicans to pass stricter\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784208809784.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784208809784.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784208809784.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784208809784.jpg?fit=1000%2C667&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":96257,"url":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/trump-set-to-address-nation-on-2020-election-claims-after-six-years-of-disputes\/","url_meta":{"origin":96799,"position":5},"title":"Trump Set to Address Nation on 2020 Election Claims After Six Years of Disputes","author":"Admin","date":"July 16, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"President Trump is expected to make another primetime address to the nation focused on the 2020 presidential election, despite years of investigations, audits, and court rulings finding no evidence of widespread fraud. Election experts and former Trump administration officials alike have consistently concluded the vote was secure and legitimate. Critics\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Politics&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Politics","link":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/category\/politics\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784177143419.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784177143419.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784177143419.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-1784177143419.jpg?fit=1000%2C666&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96799","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96799"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96799\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96798"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96799"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96799"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tvdelmarva.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96799"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}