Trump election speech sparks pushback as Wisconsin race jolts Democrats
NBC News reported fallout from Trump’s election claims, while Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez exited the Democratic governor’s primary.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
President Donald Trump’s latest claims about election security set off a fast round of fact-checks, warnings and political blowback, according to NBC News reporting, as the country sits four months from the midterm elections.
Trump used a speech to the nation to raise doubts about election integrity. NBC News’ Jane C. Timm reported that newly declassified files released by his administration do not fully support his broad claims about foreign interference in U.S. elections or the vulnerability of voting systems to attacks.
One of Trump’s assertions centered on China and voter registration records. He said China had obtained hundreds of millions of voter files. NBC News’ Ben Kamisar reported that voter registration data is already widely obtainable through states and private companies, in some cases for a fee.
The speech also produced friction between Washington and state election officials. NBC News’ Rebecca Shabad reported that Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatened possible prison time for state election officials who do not comply with Trump administration methods for checking whether noncitizens are on voter rolls.
Trump also heard criticism from inside his own party. At the Aspen Security Forum, Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, who lost his Republican primary this year to a Trump-backed challenger, questioned the timing of the focus on past elections.
“We have 109 days until the midterm elections, and I don’t understand talking about what happened six years ago in light of these upcoming elections,” Cornyn said, according to remarks carried by C-SPAN.
The foreign-policy fallout was immediate, too. NBC News’ Jennifer Jett reported that Trump’s renewed accusations about Chinese interference risk irritating Beijing at a moment when the world’s two largest economies are working to repair relations. China rejected the claims as “entirely fabricated,” according to NBC News.
Wisconsin Democrats hit by late primary shake-up
In Wisconsin, Democrats were handed a fresh scramble in the governor’s race. Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out of the Democratic primary after her campaign found major problems connected to its financial reporting, NBC News’ Adam Edelman reported.
Rodriguez announced the move in a video posted to X. “As we have continued to dig into our financial reports, it has become clear that there are issues that would be an ongoing distraction, not just for this campaign, but for the primary and for Wisconsin. This race is too important to let that happen,” she said.
She added: “I cannot, in good conscience, allow these questions to become a cloud over an election that Democrats need to win. Wisconsin deserves better than that.”
Rodriguez had been viewed as a leading option for more moderate Democrats in the contest to succeed Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. The Democratic field also includes state Rep. Francesca Hong, described by NBC News as a democratic socialist who has gained unexpected traction this summer, and former Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, a progressive attempting a comeback after losing the 2022 Senate race.
Some Democrats are now looking again at Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who ended his campaign earlier this month and backed Rodriguez. One Wisconsin Democratic operative, granted anonymity by NBC News to discuss the fluid race, said there is an effort to persuade Crowley to re-enter and that a possible Evers endorsement has been discussed as part of that push.
The operative said Crowley is “seriously considering it.” NBC News reported that spokespeople for Crowley and Evers did not respond to requests for comment.
The Democratic primary is set for Aug. 11. Its winner is likely to face Rep. Tom Tiffany, the Trump-backed Republican front-runner, according to NBC News.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.