According to a report by The Hill on Friday, July 17, 2026, Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the ranking Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, sharply criticized President Donald Trump over his primetime address on U.S. election security, accusing him of making false claims about widespread voter fraud.
Speaking on MS NOW shortly after Trump's speech, Himes said the president had misrepresented the information released by the White House to support his allegations.
“The president of the United States lied to the American public today,” Himes said.
He went further, adding, “It was a bald-faced, 180 degree, obviously provable lie.”
Himes said he had reviewed the collection of documents made public by the White House on Thursday evening. The administration argued that the materials provided fresh evidence supporting Trump's long-standing claims of widespread election fraud. However, independent experts have said the documents largely describe previously known vulnerabilities in the electoral system rather than proving systemic fraud.
After examining the reports, Himes maintained that they failed to support the president's assertions.
“There is absolutely nothing in that intelligence that substantiates what he was saying,” he said.
During the same address, Trump urged Republican lawmakers to approve the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE America) Act, describing it as his top legislative priority. The proposal would tighten voter identification requirements for Americans registering to vote and casting ballots, a measure that has drawn broad opposition from congressional Democrats.
Himes strongly criticized the legislation, arguing that the broader concern extended beyond the bill itself.
“What we’re talking about here is not the SAVE Act, which is an abomination, but it is about setting the stage for Donald Trump to reject the results of the upcoming election,” he said.
He also encouraged Americans to review the documents released by the White House, pointing specifically to heavily redacted sections dealing with China.
“Look at the China section and look at document after document after document, which is nothing but black lines of redaction. That tells the story,” Himes added.
Other Democrats also voiced concern following Trump's remarks. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) argued that the president was “clearly signaling his intent to attack these elections and to undermine voting rights,” adding that Georgia, a key battleground state central to Trump's 2020 election claims, could again become a focal point in the upcoming midterm elections.
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