Trump is expected to make election conspiracies a focus of his national address

By — Michelle L. Price, Associated Press Michelle L. Price, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-is-expected-to-make-election-conspiracies-a-focus-of-his-national-address Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Trump is expected to make election conspiracies a focus of his national address Politics Jul 16, 2026 10:44 AM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on Thursday night on topics he said will include elections and voting machines, suggesting he is likely to revisit some of the unproven claims he has previously made about Republican losses, particularly his own in 2020. Trump's fixation on his loss to Democrat Joe Biden six years ago and the long-debunked theories he's circulated about it are something he still brings up regularly when discussing other subjects. But elevating the deeply political and conspiratorial topics to a presidential primetime address underscores the lengths to which Trump has used his second term to both blow past norms and fixate on old grievances. WATCH: Trump's intelligence nominee refuses to say who won 2020 election Trump has offered only vague details about the address, scheduled for 9 p.m. When asked by a reporter on Tuesday if it would concern "election machines and integrity," Trump said it would "concern that subject" and "we'll have a couple of other things to say also." He went on to say that he has "really, really big news and our country has to shape up. But that's what we're going to be talking about Thursday." He added that "it doesn't get bigger because without free and fair elections, you don't have a country." Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Despite Trump's comments, the White House on Wednesday suggested that the content of the speech could change. "As usual, anonymous sources are speculating about what President Trump will say during his speech on Thursday evening. The truth is, nobody knows yet what President Trump will ultimately say, which is why everyone should tune in," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. Primetime presidential addresses are typically reserved for major milestones or nationally significant events. Trump last did it in April to speak on the Iran war, a month after it started. He said then that the U.S. would accomplish its objectives "very shortly" and that "the hard part is done, so it should be easy." The war, however, has dragged on and strikes between the U.S. and Iran have intensified this week. WATCH: President Trump addresses the nation — PBS News special report Trump also delivered a politically charged primetime speech in December in which he sought to blame the challenging economic climate on Democrats. WATCH: Trump addresses the nation from the White House | PBS News special coverage It was unclear if TV networks were