President Donald Trump will use a primetime address Thursday to make the case for new election integrity measures, an issue central to his political movement since he alleged the 2020 White House contest was stolen by Democrats and former President Joe Biden.Trump offered few details about his surprise address to the nation slated for Thursday at 9 p.m., but he told reporters in the Oval Office this week that the announcement would concern elections and would be “really, really big news.”“It doesn’t get bigger because without free and fair elections, you don’t have a country,” Trump said.
What officials expect from Trump, despite being in the dark
An administration official familiar with the preparations told the Washington Examiner internal discussions about the speech had centered on election security and the subject of possible voting-machine vulnerabilities that could be susceptible to foreign cyber intrusions.The official expected acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte to provide intelligence material and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to participate, as well as FBI Director Kash Patel, but cautioned that assessment was based partly on informed speculation, not a full briefing.Notably, the source also downplayed claims on social media that purported the results of the 2020 election in Georgia would be declared “illegitimate.” Following Trump’s election defeat, Republican candidates in Georgia lost to Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, with the former senator having won another election in 2022.President-elect Joe Biden elbow bumps Senate candidate Jon Ossoff as Senate candidate Raphael Warnock watches in Atlanta, Monday, Jan. 4, 2021, during a campaign rally. | (Carolyn Kaster/AP)
