Democrats on Thursday supplied their prebuttal to President Donald Trump’s prime time address that they count on to deal with the 2020 election.
Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, whose residence state has been the goal of lots of the administration’s election challenges, instructed reporters Thursday, “If the president declares Georgia’s elections illegitimate, or if the president declares Georgia’s sitting United States senators illegitimate, he’s declaring Georgia voters illegitimate. It is Donald Trump who tried to defraud Georgia voters in that election.”
Ossoff is up for re-election in November and his seat is being focused by Republicans as a doable pickup alternative. He predicted that Trump would use his speech to rehash challenges to the 2020 election that failed in courtroom.
Sen. Jon Ossoff walks by way of the Capitol throughout votes in Washington, D.C., on July 16, 2026.
Allison Robbert/AP Photograph
“Here is what is going on to occur tonight: the world’s most well-known sore loser will ship a prime-time presidential bitter grapes deal with to pursue his six-year-old grievances concerning the 2020 election, whereas his conflict within the Center East spirals uncontrolled and the price of residing continues to rise for Individuals throughout the nation,” Ossoff mentioned.
In a White Home briefing Thursday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt was tight-lipped about what the president would say moreover that he’ll talk about “defending the integrity of our elections.”
When pressed by a reporter about issues from some Republicans that the president was litigating previous elections that would flip off some swing voters, Leavitt mentioned that Trump would deal with safe elections as key to American democracy.
“I’ve seen a number of reporting and, frankly, misreporting about what the president will say. I believe the American individuals might be relieved to listen to what they’re listening to from the president of the USA and his dedication to transparency and the deal with the integrity of our elections tonight,” she mentioned.
When later pressed by ABC Information’ Rachel Scott concerning the political issues of some Republicans, Leavitt mentioned solely that folks ought to wait till they’ve heard the speech.
Sen. Thom Tillis talks with reporters on the Capitol throughout votes in Washington, D.C., on July 16, 2026.
Allison Robbert/AP Photograph
Outgoing Republican Sens. Thom Tillis and John Cornyn and Rep. Thomas Massie mentioned Trump trying again on the 2020 elections isn’t a productive message for the get together because it heads into the upcoming midterm cycle.
Requested if he thought Trump specializing in the 2020 election going into the midterms was a very good messages for Republicans, Tillis mentioned, “No, in no way. Look, we will not re-prosecute that marketing campaign. Anytime you are trying again, you are not trying forward and I am waiting for these elections, and the president ought to as properly.”
Massie mentioned that the White Home was “attempting to persuade the American individuals the issue is the elections” quite than different points they’re involved about.
“The issue isn’t that we did not win the elections. The issue is that we broke our guarantees once we acquired right here … So, it is a ruse as a result of they’re attempting to persuade the American individuals the issue is the elections. The issue is the people who they’ve elected.”
Cornyn mentioned that he wasn’t happy with Jay Clayton’s answers on the 2020 election throughout his Senate Intelligence Committee affirmation listening to to be Trump’s director of nationwide intelligence on Tuesday when he refused to reply who received.
“I assumed a number of it was fairly foolish,” Cornyn mentioned of Clayton’s efficiency. “I do not know why we’re nonetheless speaking concerning the 2020 election on both aspect of the aisle. We acquired necessary work to do and I believe an important is arising right here within the midterms. “Within the meantime, to proceed to do the individuals’s work, and once we’re speaking about what occurred six years in the past, I do not assume we’re doing them any favors.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer talks with reporters outdoors of the Capitol throughout votes in Washington, D.C., on July 16, 2026.
Allison Robbert/AP Photograph
Sen. Mark Warner, the highest Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, mentioned Trump’s speech may affect how he votes on Clayton.
“If Donald Trump does what I count on and makes outrageous claims and makes use of these claims as an try to intervene within the elections, boy oh boy, greater than ever do you want any individual in that function that’ll take reality to energy,” he mentioned.
Senate Minority Chief Chuck Schumer instructed reporters that Trump is “scared to loss of life that he’ll lose in 2026” and is attempting to vary the topic.
“The underside line is, if Trump desires to win the American individuals over, as an alternative of the bulls— that he is peddling about 2020, he should deal with reducing individuals’s prices, eliminating the chaos in administration, eliminating the corruption,” Schumer mentioned.
ABC Information’ Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report
