Trump Orders Justice Department to Prosecute Over Declassified Election Documents

President Trump announced on July 16, 2026, that he had declassified documents describing vulnerabilities in U.S. election systems, election fraud, and Chinese interference. Speaking from the East Room of the White House, he ordered the Department of Justice to prosecute individuals involved in the activities described in the documents.

The White House released heavily redacted documents titled "200M Voter Records Compromised" that referenced names, phone numbers, and addresses. A Department of Homeland Security report included in the release alleged 250,000 noncitizen voters on rolls from public voter files in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Nevada.

The same report stated that in the 10 states that provided access to voter rolls, the agency found 28,000 noncitizen voters. Trump also alleged approximately 278,000 non-citizens were included on voter rolls overall.

He said the intelligence community suppressed information about China accessing 220 million voter files and attempting to turn American opinion against him. Trump called on FBI Director Kash Patel to investigate whether charges can still be brought in a Michigan case involving forged voter registration signatures.

He advocated for passage of the SAVE America Act, a sweeping elections reform bill stalled in Congress.

Thune has stated the SAVE America Act does not have enough Republican votes to pass. Trump said the documents show China compromised election data during the 2020 election and that no country can be great without fair and honest elections.