Donald Trump alleges Chinese election interference ahead of Xi's US visit

In a primetime address on July 16 2026, former President Donald Trump claimed that the Chinese Communist Party obtained the personal data of roughly 220 million American voters, calling it "the largest compromise of election data in history." He said the breach occurred years ago, added that the United States would discuss the matter with Chinese officials, and asserted that "they do things and we do things to them." The same speech referenced newly declassified documents that Trump said detailed the alleged Chinese operation, while he largely omitted the previously released intelligence showing Russian interference. Chinese foreign‑ ministry spokespeople rejected the accusations as baseless, reiterating that China does not interfere in other nations' elections. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that President Xi Jinping’s state visit, planned for September, remains on schedule, emphasizing the need for dialogue between the two powers. Trump also suggested that the United States conducts comparable cyber activities against China, hinting at a reciprocal approach without outlining specific sanctions or policy actions.