Donald Trump says 2020 election data was "bought, stolen or hacked by China"

In a live televised address three months before the midterm elections, former President Donald Trump claimed that China manipulated the 2020 presidential contest, alleging it obtained voter information from 18 states. He asserted that hundreds of declassified intelligence documents prove Beijing sought to tip the race against him, though U.S. intelligence agencies had previously found no such interference. Beijing swiftly rejected the accusations as baseless and malicious, according to a foreign ministry spokesman. The speech marked a sharp departure from Trump’s recent efforts to maintain a friendly rapport with Chinese leader Xi Jinping amid a fragile trade truce. Trump also criticized major television networks for not airing his remarks live, calling for their licenses to be revoked.