![\"President](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2280241203-GI.JPG\" "\\"President")
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President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony for the \u201cSecure America Act\u201d in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 10, 2026.<\/p>\n
KEN CEDENO<\/p>\n
AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
California leaders quickly denounced President Donald Trump\u2019s sweeping and misleading claims Thursday night that outlined major problems with American voting systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cTonight, America watched the ramblings of a mad king,\u201d said Gov. Gavin Newsom on X<\/a>. \u201cDonald Trump\u2019s address was not about the last election \u2014 it was THIS one. Before a single vote has been cast, he\u2019s already laying the groundwork to rig this election and convince YOU not to trust the results if they don\u2019t go his way.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump, in a Thursday night address, alleged multiple claims to say American elections are significantly vulnerable to being \u201crigged and stolen\u201d while claiming his statements were backed by newly disclosed documents released by the CIA. The New York Times reported Thursday<\/a> that the documents released by the White House did not back up his claims.<\/p>\n Trump and his allies have made such false statements for years, particularly that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Nearly all of these claims have been debunked through investigations and audits. Nonpartisan research<\/a> consistently finds that instances of noncitizen registration and voting are extremely rare.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been more than half a decade, with numerous audits, recounts, and more than 60 court cases, each finding no evidence of widespread voter fraud,\u201d said U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif. \u201cClearly, this is no longer about an election Donald Trump lost six years ago. It\u2019s about him laying the groundwork to try to \u2018take over the voting\u2019 in the upcoming midterm elections.\u201d<\/p>\n Among other statements, Trump alleged on Thursday that, beginning during the 2020 election cycle, China \u201ccarried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history.\u201d He also claimed that the Chinese government tried to influence U.S. business leaders and journalists to turn against him. Many of these findings were known and covered up by \u201cmembers of the deep state,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cPut together, these disclosures reveal an election system so broken and so vulnerable that no one can possibly defend it,\u201d Trump said. \u201cIt is not defensible.\u201d<\/p>\n His speech mentioned California twice, once for the recent mayoral race in Los Angeles and the second to bash mail-in-ballots as \u201cinherently corrupt.\u201d Multiple news outlets reported Thursday<\/a> that the Department of Homeland Security had drafted a press release saying the agency found nearly 200,000 noncitizens on voter rolls in California, though the agency did not explain how it reached the finding or if those people voted.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s as predictable as it is dangerous,\u201d said Democratic governor candidate Xavier Becerra in a written statement following the speech. \u201cNo amount of lies and conspiracy theories can change what\u2019s been proven time and again: our elections are safe, secure, and accurate. The president\u2019s speech tonight was designed to intimidate and silence voters, tearing at the very fabric of our democracy.\u201d<\/p>\n As expected, Trump used parts of his speech to push lawmakers to pass the SAVE America Act. The bill would mandate voter identification and registration requirements though disfranchise millions of voters, according to many experts. The legislation has stalled in Congress for months.<\/p>\n \u201cThe SAVE Act is voter suppression,\u201d said former Vice President Kamala Harris Thursday night on X<\/a>. \u201cIt is part of a larger agenda of conservatives trying to steal power from the people.\u201d<\/p>\n Prior to Trump\u2019s address, multiple California elected officials said they expected the president to repeat his past false claims of massive fraud.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s made a bunch of absurd claims about California elections,\u201d said U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., on CNN. \u201cAlways, he\u2019s done this going back several years now. Made false claims of massive fraud of millions of undocumented people voting. All nonsense.\u201d<\/p>\n Earlier Thursday, Padilla also convened faith leaders and political figures in a roundtable discussion<\/a> to defend voting rights and remember the legacy of civil rights hero John Lewis. Trump\u2019s prime-time address was a theme of the roundtable.<\/p>\n \u201cThese next elections will determine which direction our nation goes as we approach the crossroads of democracy and authoritarianism,\u201d said Rabbi David Saperstein, director emeritus of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Sacramento Bee<\/p>\n