“UNSUPPORTED” CLAIMS
Trump had promised “big news” on election security, but analysts said much of the address repackaged old or unsupported material.
Rick Hasen, an election law expert at UCLA in California, called it the “same old unsupported, and surprisingly weak, claims of American election vulnerabilities.”
“It was a tired speech with recycled and debunked claims,” Hasen said. “I don’t think it changes anything with how American elections will be run.”
Trump devoted little time to issues voters appear more focused on, including the Iran war and the economy.
Democrats accused Trump of trying to undermine confidence ahead of November’s midterms, in which Republicans fear his unpopularity could cost them control of Congress.
Senate Democrat Dick Durbin called the speech “a dangerous attempt to resurrect disproven lies to undermine future elections before a single vote is cast.”
Former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb said the speech appeared intended to build a case for declaring an election emergency.
“I think tonight’s speech is intended to add to the predicate that he needs to declare an emergency at or about the time of the elections,” Cobb told PBS, adding that he believed immigration officers at polling places were a “virtual certainty.”