President Trump is set to address the nation tonight at 9 p.m. ET from the White House, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the speech will focus on election security and present findings that elections in the United States aren’t as secure as Americans believe.
The primetime address comes as Trump’s second term has been marked by efforts to reshape voting policy in unprecedented ways. Leavitt said Thursday that Trump will discuss the SAVE America Act, which would require citizens to present proof of citizenship when registering to vote and a valid ID when voting.
“I think all Americans – Democrat, Republican — should agree that we are the greatest country in the history of the world,” Leavitt said at a Thursday afternoon press briefing. “We should have the safest and most secure elections in the history of the world. And what the president will be speaking about tonight will show you that perhaps that is not the case, and we need to make some adjustments moving forward, including the SAVE America Act.”
Leavitt said the speech would present evidence to back up Trump’s claims. “Everything he is saying will be backed by facts and by evidence that will be provided this evening,” she said. “It will shock you if you have an honest eye listening to the president tonight.”
Trump has long contended, without evidence, that he won the 2020 election. Numerous reviews and a federal intelligence report released in March 2021 have debunked his claims. The intelligence report concluded: “We have no indications that any foreign actor attempted to alter any technical aspect of the voting process in the 2020 US elections, including voter registration, casting ballots, vote tabulation, or reporting results.”
The timing of the address has drawn criticism from some Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that the speech is part of an attempt to delegitimize the upcoming midterms. “Trump’s primetime speech tonight isn’t simply about relitigating his overwhelming defeat in the 2020 election; it’s about undermining the 2026 election before a single vote has been cast,” Schumer said on the Senate floor.
The speech comes amid other significant developments in Trump’s administration. The U.S. is engaged in an ongoing conflict with Iran, with Trump having reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports on July 14, marking the latest escalation in a war that has now lasted nearly five months. Some Republican lawmakers have expressed concern that Trump is focusing on election security rather than addressing the economy, which remains a concern for many voters ahead of the midterms.
Presidential primetime addresses are relatively rare and typically occur around major events. Trump’s previous primetime address came in April 2026, when he updated the nation on the then-one-month-old war with Iran.
Sources
- The Hill — White House Press Secretary Leavitt’s preview of Trump’s election security speech and quotes from the briefing
- NPR — Trump’s history of election claims, the SAVE America Act details, Senate Minority Leader Schumer’s statement, and context on Trump’s second-term voting policy efforts
- Reuters — Information on the U.S. naval blockade of Iran and escalating military actions
- AP News — Details on the reimposition of the naval blockade and Trump’s announcement
