美国总统特朗普周四晚间黄金时段发表电视演说，宣布解密一批文件。他声称这些文件证实美国选举系统存在安全漏洞、选举舞弊行为以及中国干预美国大选，并下令美国司法部起诉相关涉案人员。
“美国重回正轨、发展向好，但我们仍面临一项亟待解决的重大难题。一个国家倘若没有公平、公正的选举，就不可能伟大，民众必须信任自己的国家。” 特朗普称，“道理十分简单：失去民众信任，国家便无伟大可言。”
整场演讲时长 22 分钟，尽管特朗普反复宣称 2020 年大选遭到 “窃取”、选举全程存在人为操纵，却全程没有拿出任何确凿证据证明当年选票数据或大选最终结果遭到篡改。 一、美国选举系统相关说法
特朗普在讲话中表示，他将立刻解密一批 “关键情报”，文件曝光美国选举基础设施存在触目惊心的安全隐患。
“证据显示，我国选举系统极易遭受网络攻击、恶意利用与境外干预，风险程度前所未有。更令人不安的是，多年来这些关键信息一直被掩盖，从未向美国民众公开。” 特朗普说道。
按照特朗普的说法，这批文件包含多项他所称的风险线索，核心指控为中国在 2020 年大选期间入侵获取选举数据，且有势力刻意淡化中方相关活动规模。 二、所谓中方窃取选民数据相关指控
特朗普声称，美国情报界刻意隐瞒一条关键信息：中方在 2020 大选前夕获取 2.2 亿份美国选民档案，并试图扭转舆论、阻挠他连任。
“首先，文件显示，自 2020 大选周期起多年间，中华人民共和国实施了据称史上规模最大的选举数据窃取行动，非法获取 2.2 亿份美国选民档案。档案内包含民众姓名、住址、电话、党派倾向等敏感信息，这些资料可用于虚假选民登记及各类恶意活动。” 特朗普称。
他指责所谓 “深层政府” 刻意封锁境外干预选举的情报，对他隐瞒实情。
“本次解密的第二批文件显示，大批情报机构内的深层政府人员刻意掩盖、淡化中方大规模干预美国选举的相关情报。” 特朗普表示。
特朗普宣称，美国情报机构掌握信息显示，18 个州数千万选民的数据遭中方收购、窃取或黑客入侵;而他在任期间，情报部门刻意隐瞒了这份情报。
“本该拉响警报的相关人员选择秘而不宣，既没有告知时任总统的我，据我们所知，也未向国会通报。” 特朗普声称。
特朗普坚称，中国政府希望他输掉 2020 年大选，认定相比对手拜登，他上台后会对华采取更强硬立场。
即便所谓中方干预活动发生在特朗普首届任期内，他称，相关情报从未出现在他每日的情报简报中。特朗普还要求彻查所有刻意隐瞒所谓中方干预大选情报的人员。
拜登政府与特朗普政府历任情报官员均表示，没有任何情报证据显示选票机、计票结果遭到篡改。2021 年 3 月，拜登上台两个月后，一份解密版《情报界综合评估报告》指出，部分情报官员认为中国的确采取少量举措削弱特朗普连任胜算，但报告明确写明：中方相关行动仅依靠社交媒体、官方公开表态与媒体宣传，并未介入选票登记、计票等核心选举流程。
报告进一步说明，中方搜集美国选民、政客、官员相关信息的主要目的，并非打压特朗普，而是预判大选结果，以便无论哪位候选人胜选，都能提前制定对应的对华政策。 中方外交部回应
中国外交部发言人林剑周五针对美方相关指控作出回应： “美方有关说法纯属无中生有、恶意抹黑，早已被证明完全站不住脚。中国一贯坚持不干涉他国内政原则，我们无意、也从未干预美国总统选举。反观到底是谁常年干涉别国内政?是谁长期无差别监控全球各国政府、企业与普通民众，大规模窃取他国公民数据?国际社会看得一清二楚。
我们敦促美方反躬自省，停止无端抹黑中国，不要拿中国当做选举炒作工具，多做有利于中美关系的实事。” 三、选票机与计票系统相关指控
特朗普称，美国民众一直被刻意蒙蔽，并不了解本国电子投票设备、计票系统存在严重安全隐患，这是直指美国民主核心的网络安全威胁。
特朗普称解密文件中包含中情局情报，指委内瑞拉马杜罗政权在 2020 年策划通过数字手段操纵本国大选，并暗示同类手段可被用于美国，但这份情报来源、中情局评估可信度、该操纵计划是否在委内瑞拉落地均无明确佐证。 四、2020 年密歇根州选民登记舞弊调查
特朗普在演讲中指控，前司法部官员刻意拖延密歇根州一桩选举舞弊案调查，案件涉及大量伪造签名、虚假选民登记申请表。
“今晚公布的联邦调查局档案，详细记录密歇根州大规模虚假选民登记舞弊证据。2020 年，密歇根州警方突袭马斯基根市一家民主党拉票机构，现场查获的情况令人震惊，警方随即联系底特律联邦调查局。”
“文件记录，多名外勤登记员向探员承认，冒用他人身份填写选民登记表、为不存在的人提交虚假登记，登记数量直接对应礼品卡奖励。简单来说，就是按单提成、弄虚作假。” 特朗普补充道。
特朗普要求联邦调查局局长卡什・帕特尔全面彻查此案，联合司法部追究涉案人员刑责。
当年当地媒体报道，州级调查中途暂停，交由联邦调查局接手跟进，但联邦层面始终未提起刑事指控，至今也没有实质证据证明司法部不起诉存在渎职行为。
当年州政府官员表示，虚假登记申请能够被系统筛查出来，恰恰说明选举监管机制有效。有官员当时称：“多部门联合开展全面调查，最终确认没有虚假登记成功干扰本州选举流程与合法选民档案。” 五、非公民录入选民登记名册问题
特朗普称本次解密的国土安全部报告内容 “触目惊心”，声称各州选民档案与公开记录统计，约 27.8 万名非美国公民完成联邦大选选民登记。
“我国选举制度极易遭到操纵、窃取，民众对选举的信任已经崩塌，这种现状不能再持续下去。” 特朗普表示。
白宫当晚公布的相关文件经粗略核查，疑似将大量已死亡选民数据一并归入非公民登记人数，大幅夸大了相关数字。特朗普并未指控名单内人员实际参与联邦大选投票。
本月选举创新与研究中心发布报告称，各类大范围指控非公民登记、投票的说法，大多源于对选民复杂数据的误读、歪曲甚至凭空捏造，非公民违规登记、投票的案例极其罕见。保守派智库传统基金会近二十年核实的真实非公民投票案例仅约 100 起。
此外，国土安全部称，所谓 25 万非公民登记选民的数据，仅基于加州、新泽西、宾夕法尼亚、内华达四州公开选民档案梳理得出。该部门未公布数据统计方法，也未明确核查档案范围;同时承认无法调取上述四州完整选民名册。在允许联邦查阅选民档案的另外 10 个州中，仅查出 2.8 万名登记在册的非公民。 六、呼吁国会通过《保护美国选民资格法案》
整场演讲的核心诉求，是敦促国会通过《保护美国选民资格法案》这套全面选举改革法案。参议院共和党领袖约翰・休恩此前多次表态，该法案无法获得足够共和党选票，难以通过。
特朗普提高声调强调：“解决选举安全危机，国会必须出台《保护美国选民资格法案》。如果不打算舞弊，通过这套法案本应轻而易举。反对法案的唯一原因，就是企图舞弊 —— 因为自身政策不得人心、候选人毫无竞争力，只能依靠旁门左道取胜。”
“这些改革举措急需落地，才能消除我刚才所说的各类选举安全漏洞。” 特朗普呼吁全体美国民众次日致电参众议员，要求国会立刻通过该法案，“我们将一同重建民众对国家的信任，让美国变得前所未有的强大。”
《保护美国选民资格法案》核心条款：强制各州要求民众登记联邦大选选民时出示公民身份证明，违者将面临处罚;强化选民身份证件核验要求;推动各州共享选民档案。
美国布伦南司法中心评价，该法案会剥夺大量合法选民投票权，尤其是年轻选民、少数族裔选民、婚后更名女性;机构预估全美约 2100 万人无法便捷获取护照、出生证明等公民身份证明文件。
Key takeaways from Trump's elections speech
President Donald Trump, in aprimetime address on Thursday, announced he has declassified a slew of documents he claims reveal vulnerabilities in America's elections systems, election fraud, and interference by China, and ordered the Department of Justice to prosecute those believed to be involved.
"America is back and doing really well, but we still have a major challenge that must be urgently addressed because no country can be great without fair and honest elections, you have to trust your country," Trump said. "Because if there can be no trust, there can be no greatness, and that's very simple: no trust, no greatness."
But throughout the 22-minute speech, the president did not provide specific evidence that the election outcome -- or any votes -- were altered in the 2020 election, despite his repeated claims that the election was "stolen" or "rigged."
US elections
In the remarks, the president said that he would immediately declassify the release of "critical intelligence, revealing shocking vulnerabilities in our election infrastructure."
"This evidence shows that the election system we have dangerously exposes, and really exposes like levels never thought possible, to hacking, exploitation, and foreign interference. Just as disturbingly, this vital information has, for many years, been covered up and hidden from you, the American people," Trump said.
According to the president, the documents focus on what he said were a number of areas of concern, including claims that China "compromised" election data during the 2020 election, and attempts to downplay the extent of China's efforts.
Chinese exploitation of voter data claims
Trump argued that the intelligence community suppressed information about China allegedly accessing 220 million voter files and trying to turn American opinion against him in the run-up to the 2020 election.
"First, they show that over a period of years, starting during the 2020 election cycle, the People's Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history, resulting in China's illicit acquisition of 220 million U.S. voter files. That information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, political party preferences, and other sensitive data that would be needed to register to vote and engage in other nefarious activities," Trump said.
The president accused the so-called "deep state" of keeping information about election meddling from him.
"The second set of documents we are releasing reveals that members of the deep state,very, very famous group of people, in many cases, in our intelligence agency, work to actively suppress and downplay information about the extent of China's sinister election meddling," the president said.
Trump claimed that U.S. intelligence agencies learned that tens of millions of voters' data in 18 states had been "bought, stolen, or hacked" by China, and that the intelligence community deliberately kept this information from him while he was president.
"Those responsible for sounding the alarm instead kept the information secret and hidden. They did not disclose to me as president or to anyone else, and to the best of our knowledge, they did not inform Congress," Trump claimed.
The president insisted that the Chinese government wanted him to lose the 2020 election, convinced that he would be harder on them than his opponent Joe Biden would be.
Despite the alleged efforts by the Chinese government happening during Trump's first term,he claimed that the information about Chinese attempted election interference was kept out of his daily intelligence briefing.
Trump also called for investigations into those who he accuses of withholding information on alleged Chinese interference into the 2020 election.
Officials from both the Biden and Trump administrations said there was no intelligence indicating that voting machines or vote totals were changed. In March 2021, two months into the Biden administration, a declassified Intelligence Community Assessment (ICA) publicly acknowledged the belief among some intelligence officials that "China took at least some steps to undermine former President Trump's reelection chances." But the ICA said any such actions were "primarily through social media and official public statements and media," not through interference with "election processes."
Further, the ICA said that while China was "probably" trying "to gather information on US voters and public opinion; political parties, candidates and their staffs; and senior government officials," the more reliable intelligence indicated that such efforts were not actually intended to undermine Trump but instead to "predict electoral outcomes and to inform its efforts to influence US policy toward China under either election outcome."
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian responded Friday to the claims of Chinese election interference.
"The relevant allegations from the U.S. side are completely fabricated out of thin air, and this malicious smearing has long been proven to be utter nonsense," Jian said. "China has always adhered to the principle of non-interference in internal affairs; we have no interest in and have never interfered in the U.S. presidential election. On the contrary, who is it that routinely interferes in the internal affairs of other countries? Who has engaged in long-term, indiscriminate surveillance of governments, enterprises, and ordinary citizens worldwide, and has stolen the data of other countries' citizens on a massive scale? The international community sees this with absolute clarity."
"We urge the U.S. side to engage in self-reflection, stop its groundless smearing of China, refrain from using China as an issue in the election, and do more of what actually benefits China-U.S. relations," Jian continued.
Voting machine and vote-counting systems
Trump also claimed that Americans have been "blatantly lied to" about how secure U.S. voting infrastructure is, focusing on electronic voting machines and ballot counting systems.
"This is a cyberthreat aimed at the very heart of our democracy," he said.
Among the documents, Trump claimed, was CIA information on a specific plot by the Maduro regime in Venezuela "conspiring to digitally rig their own country's elections in 2020."
Trump suggested the same alleged tactics could be used in the U.S. But it's unclear where that information came from or how credible the CIA determined it was, or whether the alleged plot was successfully executed inside Venezuela.
Michigan 2020 voter registration investigation
In his speech, Trump alleged that former Justice Department officials slow-walked an investigation in Michigan that allegedly involved the submission of voter registration applications that apparently had forged signatures and other indications of fraudulent applications.
"Among the disclosures tonight are FBI files detailing evidence of alleged fraud by a large-scale voter registration operation in Michigan," he said. "In 2020, Michigan State Police raided a Democrat get-out-the-vote organization, corrupt group, in Muskegon, and we're so concerned by what they found. They were just so concerned they couldn't believe it, actually, that they contacted the FBI in Detroit."
"The documents state that some canvassers admitted to FBI agents that they signed voter registration forms in other people's names, submitted fraudulent registration for people who did not exist, and received gift cards tied to their number of applications that they produced," the president added. "In other words, it was pay, play and cheat."
Trump said he would ask FBI Director Kash Patel "to ensure that the matter is fully investigated and to work with the Department of Justice to prosecute those responsible for any crimes."
Local media at the time said that a state-level investigation was halted so the FBI could continue with a related investigation. It's unclear why no federal charges were ever brought, or if federal charges were even warranted. So far no concrete evidence has surfaced indicating malfeasance within the Justice Department in not filing charges.
At the time, state officials said that the fact that the fraudulent applications were detected shows that the system worked. "A thorough investigation was conducted by multiple agencies within the state and no successful fraud was perpetrated upon the state's election process or qualified voter file," one state official said at the time.
Non-citizens on voter rolls
The president also said the documents released Thursday include a Department of Homeland Security report he called "stunning," alleging that "state voter rolls and public records ... identified approximately 278,000 non-citizens who are registered to vote in federal elections."
"Our elections were left vulnerable to being rigged and stolen, and the trust of the American people was lost. This cannot be allowed to continue," he later added.
A quick review of the documents released by the White House Thursday night pertaining to non-citizens on voter rolls appears to shows they may have lumped a large number of deceased voters into this category, appearing to drastically inflate the number.
The president did not allege any of these people on the list voted in the federal elections.
The Center for Election Innovation and Research published areportthis month saying that "sweeping allegations about possible noncitizen registration or voting appear to arise from misunderstandings, mischaracterizations, or outright fabrications about complex voter data." In fact, the report says, "instances of registration or voting by possible noncitizens are extremely rare."
And findings from the conservative Heritage Foundation have found only around 100 verified instances of non-citizen voting going back two decades.
Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security says the claim of more than 250,000 noncitizen voters came from a review of "public voter files" that appear to have come from four states: California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada. DHS does not provide any methodology about how it reached that number, nor does it specify what "public voter files" it reviewed. DHS acknowledged it did not have access to those states' voter rolls, and alleges that in the 10 states that provided the federal government access to their rolls, the agency found 28,000 noncitizen voters.
A pitch for the SAVE America Act
The president's speech led to his main argument: he wants Congress to pass theSAVE America Act, his sweeping elections reform bill that Senate Majority Leader John Thune has repeatedly said does not have enough Republican votes to pass.
"But, most importantly, addressing this crisis of election security demands that Congress must pass the SAVE America Act," Trump said, raising his voice. "How easy is that to do unless you want to cheat? The only reason you wouldn't do it is you want to cheat because your policies are so bad and your candidates are so pathetic that you can't get away or can't get elected any other way."
"These reforms are urgently needed to stop the vulnerabilities that I've mentioned," Trump went on to say. "To all Americans, I ask you to pick up your phone tomorrow, call your representatives in the House and Senate, and demand that they pass the SAVE America Act without delay. Together, we will restore faith and confidence in our country, and we will be bigger, better, and stronger than ever before."
The SAVE America Act would mandate states obtain proof of citizenship before registering a person to vote in a federal election or else face penalties, strengthen voter identification requirements for people voting, and require states to share voter rolls, among other requirements. The Brennan Center for Justice says the bill would disenfranchise American voters, particularly younger voters, voters of color, and women who have new married names, and estimates 21 million Americans lack ready access to documents like a passport or birth certificate to prove American citizenship.
