Trump hypes 'really big news' as 2020 election claims return

President Donald Trump on Tuesday shared a teaser of what he would say in his big national address on Thursday about the 2020 elections. Speaking to reporters, he said there was "really, really big news" to share and that the country needs to get its affairs in order. While the President was guarded about the contents of his address, he confirmed that it would touch upon several topics, including voting machines.

Trump, on Monday afternoon, announced on Truth Social that he "will be making a Speech to the Nation on Thursday evening, at 9 P.M. Eastern," without providing any details. The speech comes as he escalates calls for Republicans to pass tighter rules for the November midterm elections. While he hasn't shared many details, when asked if his address will include any announcements on the integrity of voting machines, Trump said, "It will concern that subject, and we'll have a couple of other things to say also."

When asked to share a sneak peek of his address, the President added, "It's really big news. It's really, really big news, and our country has to shape up." He claimed that "it doesn't get bigger because without free and fair elections, you don't have a country," adding again that there will be a very big announcement. 

After Trump's post, reports surfaced on Monday that his address will center around the recently declassified intelligence on investigations into the country's elections, and Reuters reported that the President may talk about vulnerabilities in voting machines. Later on Tuesday, citing White House Officials, MS Now reported that Trump will be joined by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte, FBI Director Kash Patel, and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, among others, during Thursday's address, CNBC reported.

Primetime presidential addresses are rare and usually reserved for major updates intended to reach a wide audience. While the White House typically asks broadcast networks to preempt their usual programming, so far it isn't clear if such a request has been made for Trump's speech on Thursday, according to CNN. 

There is a lot of skepticism around the address, as numerous courts, ballot audits, and Trump's first-term Justice Department had previously found no evidence of voter fraud, including vote-machine rigging in the 2020 presidential election. After his loss, Trump propagated the idea of the elections being rigged, leading to the Jan 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol. In his second term, Trump has continued with the narrative, seeking to increase federal oversight of election administration ahead of the midterm elections in November.

Legal experts have warned that the numerous attempts to reshape the voting process can take away the power of states in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Thus, with Republican control of Congress at ​stake, Democrats and some election security experts have expressed concerns that Trump could use his speech to undermine the integrity of the elections and push plans to interfere in those contests.