President Donald Trump will address the nation at 9 p.m. EDT Thursday, with elections and voting machines expected to be central topics.
Trump has promised a “very big announcement” involving what he calls “free and fair elections,” but the White House has not released a full outline of the speech. The address will begin at 8 p.m. CDT.
The speech comes less than four months before the 2026 midterm elections, when control of Congress will be at stake. Trump has increased pressure on Republican lawmakers to approve tighter voter identification and citizenship requirements.
The president could also revisit claims about the 2020 election and discuss recently reviewed intelligence involving alleged attempts by China to interfere in the vote. Officials have not presented evidence that foreign actors changed vote totals, and Trump’s broader claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election have been repeatedly rejected by courts and election officials.
The address has drawn scrutiny from Democrats and some media organizations over concerns that Trump could use the national platform to repeat disproven election claims. Television networks have been weighing whether to carry the speech live.
Trump is speaking as his administration also faces an escalating conflict with Iran. U.S. and Iranian attacks have intensified in recent days following the collapse of a temporary pause in fighting, although it remains unclear how much of Thursday’s address will focus on foreign policy.
