August 20th, 2026 Local News
Washington, D.C. (KFMO) - President Donald Trump announced Thursday evening that he has directed U.S. intelligence agencies to declassify documents that he says contain evidence of Chinese interference in the 2020 presidential election.
Speaking during an address from the White House, Trump alleged that China illegally acquired approximately 220 million U.S. voter files and claimed voting machines contained security vulnerabilities. The administration has not publicly released the documents, and the allegations have not been independently verified.
During his address, Trump urged Congress to approve the SAVE America Act, legislation he said would strengthen election security by requiring proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote.
Federal law already prohibits non-U.S. citizens from voting in federal elections. Supporters of the legislation argue additional verification requirements would help ensure election integrity, while critics have raised concerns about potential impacts on voter registration.
Trump also said he is directing intelligence agencies to investigate what he described as election-related misconduct and to declassify additional materials.
The president repeated his claims that China obtained voter records containing personal information belonging to millions of Americans and said the records should be made public.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the administration's actions, accusing Trump of attempting to influence the upcoming midterm elections. The White House and Senate Democrats remain divided over the president's claims and the proposed legislation.