Kamala Harris pred Trumpovim govorom: "Volitve 2020 niso bile ukradene, mi smo zmagali, on pa izgubil"

President Donald Trump’s primetime address on Thursday, in which he accused China of interfering in the 2020 election and claimed the U.S. election system was compromised, faced sharp criticism from some Republicans and outright rejection from others. During the speech, Trump asserted that China had obtained 220 million U.S. voter files and that the Department of Homeland Security had identified 278,000 noncitizens on state voter rolls. He also alleged that foreign governments had access to vast amounts of voter data and that voting machines and ballot-counting systems were vulnerable to hacking. Despite these claims, many Republicans distanced themselves from Trump’s assertions, calling them baseless and misleading. Ben Ginsberg, a former election lawyer for the Republican National Committee, dismissed Trump’s claims during an interview on CNN. “There’s still no evidence of any election being incorrect,” he said. “There still were not the documents. There still was not the evidence, although we’ll see what is produced.” Ginsberg emphasized that while the U.S. election system is not perfect, it is not inherently flawed. He criticized the administration for cutting back on federal resources meant to protect election infrastructure, arguing that reduced funding for agencies like the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) left states more vulnerable to potential threats. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky took issue with Trump’s specific claims about China accessing voter files. In a post on X, he noted that such data is readily available in Kentucky for a small fee, suggesting that Trump’s allegations were exaggerated. Similarly, Stephen Richer, a former county recorder in Arizona, countered that even if tabulation machines were vulnerable, which he disputed, any manipulation would be detectable through manual recounts. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, praised his state’s efforts to verify voter eligibility, stating that Georgia was the first to implement a robust citizenship check process. Meanwhile, Democratic officials and governors condemned Trump’s rhetoric as dangerous and misleading. All 24 Democratic governors issued a joint statement calling Trump’s claims “deeply alarming,” noting that no amount of misinformation could alter the fact that U.S. elections have consistently been verified as secure. They warned that Trump’s attempts to sow distrust in the electoral system could discourage voter turnout and undermine democratic processes. Virginia Senator Mark Warner, co-chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, expressed embarrassment over Trump’s repeated false claims, stating that they undermined public confidence in the system. Democratic lawmakers also criticized Trump’s push for the SAVE Act, which requires voters to present documentation proving citizenship when registering for federal elections. Critics argue the law disproportionately affects marginalized communities and could suppress voter turnout. Representative Seth Moulton called Trump’s speech “the rantings of a crazy, racist lunatic,” accusing him of attacking the foundations of democracy. Senator Chris Coons accused Trump of launching a “temper tantrum” over congressional resistance to the SAVE Act, which he described as an effort to federalize elections and limit mail-in voting. Kamala Harris, former vice president and a leading Democratic figure, preemptively responded to Trump’s speech by reaffirming the legitimacy of the 2020 election. She criticized the SAVE Act as a tool of voter suppression and accused Trump of trying to erode public confidence in the electoral process. Harris warned that Trump’s tactics were designed to discourage voters from participating in upcoming elections, fearing that high turnout could lead to a loss of power for Republicans. Her comments underscored the broader political divide over election integrity and voter access. As the midterm elections approach, Trump’s speech appears to be part of a coordinated strategy to influence the outcome. While some Republicans remain aligned with his claims, others recognize the risks of undermining public trust in the electoral system. The debate over election security and voter access continues to shape political discourse, with both sides presenting conflicting narratives about the integrity of the U.S. electoral process.