Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday accused China of compromising the country's poll data. He said he would declassify intelligence on "shocking vulnerabilities" in the system, escalating his claims that the 2020 presidential polls, which he lost to Joe Biden, were stolen from him. He called it the "largest compromise of election data in history."
Claims over election security
Trump claimed US midterm elections are "vulnerable to being rigged and stolen" unless radical changes are made to the voting system in ways that will make it much harder for voters to cast ballots.
He claimed newly declassified intelligence showed China illicitly acquired the personal information of 220 million US voters during the 2020 election cycle.
"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," he said.
White House address
In a televised prime-time address from the White House, the Republican leader said, "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 US voter files."
He claimed members of the deep state worked to cover China's data fraud. "This data loss presents an unprecedented election security nightmare," he said.
"Every American deserves to know that when they cast their vote, that vote will be counted accurately in a system, and that is to make that system secure, one where cheating and interference are not just difficult, but virtually impossible," he added.
He further said, "This data loss presents an unprecedented election security nightmare. The intelligence even shows that China assigned a data exploitation unit specifically to this new project."
China rejects allegations
Reacting to the allegations, the Chinese Embassy in the US said, "China has all along adhered to the principle of non-interference in others' internal affairs. The US election is an internal matter of the US. Its outcome is determined by the votes of the American people. China has never and will never interfere in the presidential elections of the US."
