Trump to address elections in Thursday primetime speech

President Donald Trump is set to speak at 9 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, saying the primetime address will include a focus on elections and a "very big announcement" on other topics. The president declined to provide details, noting that "without free and fair elections, you don't have a country" and promising to reveal more during the broadcast.

The speech comes as Trump intensifies calls for Republican lawmakers to adopt stricter federal voting regulations before the November midterm elections. He has repeatedly asserted that the 2020 election was fraudulent, citing unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud in recent local races and urging investigations in California.

Trump’s emphasis on voting rules follows a pattern dating back to his 2016 campaign, when he questioned the legitimacy of the election outcome. After winning, he created a voting-integrity commission that produced no evidence of widespread fraud. Following his 2020 loss, he continued to press state officials for vote recounts and has faced multiple investigations into those efforts.

In recent weeks, the administration has taken steps to reshape election oversight, including the removal of the remaining members of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission. Critics, including Maryland Governor Wes Moore, argue that Trump’s repeated focus on the 2020 election is a political strategy aimed at influencing the upcoming midterms.