President Donald Trump accused China of working to sway U.S. elections, released declassified material he says supports that claim, and used the disclosures to push for new election rules while his administration tightened visa rules for foreign journalists, drawing a sharp denial from Beijing and threats of reciprocal steps.
In a prime time address, Mr. Trump said “in mid 2018, China was working to influence the results of the U.S. midterm elections and later the results of the 2020 presidential election itself.” He pointed to newly released intelligence he says shows the Chinese Communist Party sought to mobilize both domestic and foreign critics of the administration to reduce his vote totals and block his reelection.
Trump cited documents he described as “CIA reporting” and read a longer passage to make the case: “show CIA reporting explicitly stated, and I quote, in mid 2018, the Chinese Communist Party’s policy was to leverage all domestic and foreign elements that were opposed to the U.S. president in an effort to reduce the U.S. president’s votes and make him resign or prevent his reelection.” He framed the releases as proof the threat was real, and argued the intelligence community did not share the most serious reporting with him while he was in office.
He also accused elements inside U.S. intelligence of hiding key reporting and running what he described as a “shadow government” that stifled warning signs. Trump pointed to an internal email, quoting: “We have deliberately massaged our one pending [presidential daily brief] to avoid any direct links to the election.” That line was offered as evidence of deliberate suppression and raised questions about political bias inside the system.
Using those disclosures, the president pushed Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, arguing federal election rules need tightening before the midterms. The bill passed the House earlier but stalled in the Senate, and Trump urged voters to pressure their senators and representatives to act quickly to protect electoral integrity.
The administration also moved to sharply shorten visas for foreign journalists working in the United States, cutting standard terms to 240 days and restricting Chinese journalists to 90 days. Officials said the step was part of a broader effort to respond to Beijing’s media restrictions and to secure U.S. information channels, while acknowledging the change would disrupt foreign correspondents’ ability to report from here.
China’s Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations outright, with spokesperson Lin Jian saying “the relevant allegations by the U.S. are entirely fabricated and aimed at vilifying China.” He added, “We have no interest in interfering in US elections and have never done so.” That categorical denial came alongside a warning about the potential impact on high-level diplomacy, including a planned visit by Chinese leadership.
Pressed about the prospective visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the spokesperson said, “As I just said, we urge the U.S. to stop making an issue of China in its elections and do something conducive to China-U.S. relations.” Beijing framed the visa changes as discriminatory, and repeated its demand that Washington reverse course to avoid escalating tensions.
At a daily briefing in Beijing, Lin Jian also insisted, “China urges the U.S. to immediately revoke its discriminatory policies targeting Chinese journalists and effectively safeguard their lawful rights and interests in the U.S.” He concluded by warning that “China reserves the right to take reciprocal countermeasures.” The exchange underscores how intelligence revelations and policy moves can quickly ripple into diplomatic and media access conflicts.
For Republicans, the episode reinforces long-standing concerns about foreign influence campaigns and the need for firmer election safeguards and transparency from intelligence agencies. The debate over the documents, the email and the SAVE America Act now sets up a fresh political fight ahead of the midterms, with national security and information integrity at its center.
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