President Trump will deliver a prime-time address Thursday at 9 p.m. ET, July 16, teasing what he called “really big news” about election integrity, voting machines, and what he termed “free and fair elections.” The announcement marks a rare prime-time address from the White House as Trump continues to emphasize election security ahead of the November midterms.
“It will concern that subject and we’ll have a couple of other things to say also,” Trump said Tuesday when asked about the speech’s focus. “It’s really big news. It’s really, really big news, and our country has to shape up. What we’re going to talk about Thursday, it doesn’t get bigger because without free and fair elections, you don’t have a country.”
According to reporting from Reuters and other outlets, the address will center on newly declassified intelligence on investigations into the country’s elections and what the administration is referring to as vulnerabilities in voting machines. NBC News reported that Trump is expected to use the speech to raise allegations about 2020 election interference.
Trump has repeatedly voiced claims that there was widespread voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to former President Joe Biden. However, courts and election officials across the country have rejected these fraud allegations. State and federal judges dismissed more than 50 lawsuits presented by Trump and his allies challenging the 2020 election results, according to Reuters. The New York Times reported in January 2026 that the main claims of fraud have been debunked, and Trump and his allies have offered an array of false or baseless claims.
The timing of Trump’s address comes as he has intensified his focus on election security in advance of the 2026 midterms. Last month, Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed the U.S. Postal Service will not deliver mail-in ballots in states that refuse to provide sensitive voter data to the federal government, mirroring a proposed rule from the Trump administration. Trump has also been pushing Senate Republicans to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would require photo identification and proof of citizenship while registering to vote and when casting a ballot.
The White House has indicated that a task force is reviewing thousands of pages of classified intelligence and law enforcement documents related to the 2020 election, according to reporting from CNBC. The task force includes CIA Director John Ratcliffe, acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Homeland Security Secretary, the outlet reported.
Sources
- The Hill — Trump’s quote teasing “really big news” and the speech’s focus on voting machines and election integrity
- Reuters — Details on newly declassified intelligence, voting machine vulnerabilities, and courts dismissing Trump’s 2020 election lawsuits
- NBC News — Trump’s plans to raise allegations of 2020 election interference in the Thursday speech
- The Washington Post — Trump’s use of reexamined government files to argue election infrastructure has vulnerabilities
- The New York Times — Debunking of Trump’s fraud claims and false allegations about the 2020 election
- CNBC — Information about the White House task force reviewing classified intelligence on the 2020 election
- USA Today — Confirmation of the July 16, 9 p.m. ET address time
