WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump is set to address the nation on Thursday night on topics he said will include , suggesting he is likely to revisit some of the unproven claims he has previously made about Republican losses, particularly his own in 2020.
Trump鈥檚 fixation on his loss to Democrat Joe Biden six years ago and the long-debunked theories he鈥檚 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.
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 鈥渆lection machines and integrity,鈥� Trump said it would 鈥渃oncern that subject鈥� and 鈥渨e鈥檒l have a couple of other things to say also.鈥�
He went on to say that he has 鈥渞eally, really big news and our country has to shape up. But that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to be talking about Thursday.鈥� He added that 鈥渋t doesn鈥檛 get bigger because without free and fair elections, you don鈥檛 have a country.鈥�
Despite Trump鈥檚 comments, the White House on Wednesday suggested that the content of the speech could change.
鈥淎s 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,鈥� 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 . He would accomplish its objectives 鈥渧ery shortly鈥� and that 鈥渢he hard part is done, so it should be easy.鈥� The war, however, has dragged on and strikes between the U.S. and Iran have intensified this week.
Trump also delivered a politically in which he sought to blame the challenging economic climate on Democrats.
It was not clear if TV networks were planning to air the speech, or to what extent. Messages to ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox News and MS NOW asking about coverage plans were not immediately returned.
Democrats warned that Trump was trying to revive false claims of past stolen elections in order to delegitimize the upcoming 2026 midterm elections, in which Trump鈥檚 Republican Party is facing headwinds.
鈥淭omorrow night, Trump is going to use a primetime address to stoke misleading claims about our elections in order to justify interfering in our midterms. It鈥檚 on all of us to follow the facts and not accept his constant stream of misdirections and lies,鈥� Virginia Democratic Sen. Mark Warner said in a statement on X.
鈥淭rump is again trying to drum up baseless election conspiracies ahead of the November elections,鈥� New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim said in a post on X. 鈥淎mericans are tired of endless war, skyrocketing gas prices, and a president that isn鈥檛 looking out for them. Voters will make their voices heard, whether Trump wants them to or not.鈥�
On Capitol Hill on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance bristled when asked if he鈥檇 encourage Trump in his Thursday remarks to stay focused on November鈥檚 midterm elections rather than relitigate past elections. 鈥�’The unfounded claims,’鈥� Vance said, repeating the reporter’s language. “You鈥檙e basically assuming an answer in the very question that you ask.鈥�
鈥淭he president is going to talk about a number of things tomorrow night. I鈥檓 obviously not going to get ahead of his remarks,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淏ut we can talk about a number of the American people鈥檚 problems. We can solve a number of the American people鈥檚 problems.鈥�
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters that he doesn鈥檛 know what Trump is going to say. 鈥淏ut,” he said, “the only thing I can tell you is that we are focused on the 2026 election, at least I am, and I think most of my colleagues are.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Will Weissert in Washington and Jocelyn Noveck in New York contributed to this report.
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