State officials, election experts pan Trump speech: \u2018This is what desperation looks like\u2019 | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The president\u2019s speech re-hashed debunked conspiracies around U.S. elections. Critics say the administration\u2019s 18-month investigation into voter fraud has been a total failure. \"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-voter-fraud-speech-call-it-desperation\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"State officials, election experts pan Trump speech: \u2018This is what desperation looks like\u2019\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The president\u2019s speech re-hashed debunked conspiracies around U.S. elections. 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ad--top ad--top-desktop\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <main id=\"main\" role=\"main\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"24.811776061776\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"33.535269709544\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-voter-fraud-speech-call-it-desperation\/\"> <span>Election Security<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> The president\u2019s speech re-hashed debunked conspiracies around U.S. elections. Critics say the administration\u2019s 18-month investigation into voter fraud has been a total failure. <\/p>\n<p>  <br \/>\n<audio id=\"audio-player\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-tts-cdn.api.scpnewsgrp.com\/cyberscoop\/89854\/english.openai.mp3\"><\/audio> <\/p>\n<div readability=\"11\">\n<div>\n<p>Listen to this article<\/p>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p>0:00<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>  <\/p>\n<p> <span id=\"tts-tooltip\">Learn more.<\/span> <span> This feature uses an automated voice, which may result in occasional errors in pronunciation, tone, or sentiment. <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like.jpg?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt 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https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> (Photo by Win McNamee\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"79.264640474426\"><body readability=\"161.27033557047\"><\/p>\n<p>State and local officials and election security experts largely panned a Thursday night primetime speech by President Donald Trump, saying it was reflective of White House \u201cdesperation\u201d to find any credible evidence to support their claims that U.S. elections have been rigged against the two-term president.<\/p>\n<p>While the White House teased explosive new claims about the potential compromise of U.S. elections by China, Trump\u2019s speech was a rehash of claims that both have no supporting evidence and have been repeatedly debunked when investigated. <\/p>\n<p>David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research and a former voting and civil rights attorney at the Department of Justice, said none of Trump\u2019s claims or allegations were new or substantively different from previous theories he\u2019s been espousing over the past six years.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe White House promised a bombshell and they delivered a dud,\u201d Becker said on a call with reporters Friday. \u201cThere was nothing that even calls into question past elections \u2014 certainly not the 2020 election.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The administration declassified a huge tranche of documents from the intelligence agencies, and news outlets continue to sift through them, but thus far nothing has been found that remotely validates the administration\u2019s claims about foreign interference from China costing Trump the 2020 election.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, some of the most relevant documents found at this point have supported the opposite conclusion, with agencies assessing that while China engaged in influence campaigns around the election, it was not attempting to outright interfere with U.S. election infrastructure, hack voting machines or manipulate ballots.<\/p>\n<p>John Solomon, a former journalist and opinion writer at The Hill brought in by the White House to lead the investigation, also told reporters Thursday that his search hasn\u2019t turned up evidence that the 2020, 2022 or 2024 elections were affected by fraud.<\/p>\n<p>The one new major claim by Trump \u2014 that the Department of Homeland Security determined hundreds of thousands of noncitizens were registered to vote across four states \u2014 is almost certainly false or overinflated, given that it contradicts post-election state audits that have <a href=\"https:\/\/alabamareflector.com\/2024\/10\/24\/georgia-gop-secretary-of-state-audit-found-20-noncitizens-registered-to-vote-out-of-8-2m\/\">routinely found<\/a> single or double-digit numbers of noncitizens registered to vote within a single state across multiple elections.<\/p>\n<p>Over the past six years, similar claims by <a href=\"https:\/\/ohiocapitaljournal.com\/2023\/09\/27\/ohio-sec-of-state-larose-flagged-more-than-520-cases-of-noncitizen-voter-fraud-only-one-was-legit\/\">GOP secretaries of state<\/a> and political activists purporting to find mass numbers of noncitizens registered to vote have turned out to be grossly inflated due to shoddy data analysis, and the vast majority of cases involving \u201csuspected noncitizens\u201d turn out to be U.S. citizens who are legally registered to vote.<\/p>\n<p>The White House has provided little to no information on the methodology used to flag and identify supposed noncitizen voters, other than alluding to the use of \u201ccommercial data\u201d and federal databases. A federal court recently <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/court-rules-save-database-illegal-orders-dismantling\/\">ordered DHS to dismantle the SAVE database<\/a>, its primary database for verifying the citizenship status of U.S. voters, because it was unreliable and violated longstanding privacy laws. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> Apart from DHS admitting its own data on citizenship is incomplete, Becker said using a list that relies on matching voter files with commercial data is not a reliable way of determining citizenship.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is impossible to take a public voter file with very little information that is uniquely identified, like a driver\u2019s license number, and compare it to a commercial database and say for sure the Maria Rodriguez or the John Lee or the Shawn O\u2019Hara you have on that is the same person,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Election officials also responded forcefully. Nevada Democratic Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar said that Trump has spent a decade attempting to manufacture a crisis around voter fraud and the president\u2019s speech Thursday night was an extension of that effort. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cAs Nevada\u2019s chief elections officer, it\u2019s my job to call balls and strikes \u2014 so when the President lies, I am obligated to call him out,\u201d Aguilar said in a statement. \u201cThe facts have not changed: Nevada\u2019s elections are among the safest, most secure and accessible in the nation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not just Democrats that have objected to the administration\u2019s efforts. GOP states have gone to court to block the Department of Justice from obtaining their voter data, and Idaho\u2019s Republican secretary of state responded to a DOJ letter threatening prosecution of election officials as \u201cnot well met\u201d and potentially illegal under state ethics laws. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Trump\u2019s speech potentially casts additional light on recent White House decisions, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/trump-administration-eac-firings-doj-election-officials-threat\/\">firing all three commissioners<\/a> on the Election Assistance Commission. The agency helps certify voting machines for security, and all three commissioners have served across administrations and maintain close relationships with state and local election officials. <\/p>\n<p>Pamela Smith, CEO of the nonprofit Verified Voting, said that while the EAC can\u2019t take certain actions that need commissioner approval, \u201ccritical functions like voting system testing and certification can continue under the existing framework and should not be affected.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In 2020, Trump\u2019s initial claims of widespread election fraud <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/trump-chris-krebs-2020-election-security-twitter\/\">were undercut<\/a> by leaders at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which said there was no evidence the election was compromised. The removal of EAC commissioners could represent an attempt to preempt any efforts to rebut or criticize White House claims that elections and voting machines have been compromised.<\/p>\n<p>Some have worried that Trump could use the speech as a pretext to declare a national emergency or cancel elections.<\/p>\n<p>Tom Lopach, CEO of the Voter Participation Center, said \u201cyou don\u2019t dismantle election security infrastructure if you\u2019re serious about protecting elections.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou dismantle it if you\u2019re planning to claim, without evidence, that the system failed you,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>While Becker takes Trump\u2019s broadsides against state election authority seriously, he also said it\u2019s important not to lose sight of the fact that, in his view, the administration is losing the argument across the board.<\/p>\n<p>More than a dozen federal courts have unanimously rejected the federal government\u2019s attempts to forcibly obtain state voter data, while other courts have rejected core pieces of his election-related executive orders. State officials have publicly \u2014 and at times, angrily \u2014 pushed back on the administration\u2019s demands as blatant federal overreach. <\/p>\n<p>Becker predicted that such an act would be quickly shot down by courts as well, noting that the U.S. has never canceled or postponed an election in its 250-year history, including when British troops were marauding on American soil during the War of 1812 or even at the height of the Civil War.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s important not to conflate the White House\u2019s bluster and intentions with its actual authorities or capability to seize control of U.S. elections.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is what panic and desperation look like,\u201d Becker said. \u201cThey\u2019ve had 18 months in total control of the federal government and they have found nothing that would support President Trump\u2019s lies about the 2020 election, and so they\u2019re just trying to grab as much garbage as they can and throw it up against the wall, and it\u2019s not sticking.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"3.0917573872473\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"13\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Derek B. Johnson\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Derek B. Johnson<\/h4>\n<p> Derek B. Johnson is a reporter at CyberScoop, where his beat includes cybersecurity, elections and the federal government. Prior to that, he has provided award-winning coverage of cybersecurity news across the public and private sectors for various publications since 2017. Derek has a bachelor\u2019s degree in print journalism from Hofstra University in New York and a master\u2019s degree in public policy from George Mason University in Virginia. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__container\">\n<h2 class=\"popular-stories__title\"> More Scoops <\/h2>\n<div class=\"popular-stories__stories\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__cards\">\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \" readability=\"21.851814516129\">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/supreme-court-rules-legal-mail-in-ballots-after-election-day\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"506\" height=\"337\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-2.jpg?resize=506%2C337&ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-md size-ratio-16-9-md wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-6.jpg 5030w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-6.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-6.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-6.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-6.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-6.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-6.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-6.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-6.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-6.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-6.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 506px) 100vw, 506px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> Norwalk, CA \u2013 June 01: A person places their Mail in ballot into a ballot box during early voting outside of the LA County Registrar-Recorder building on Monday, June 1, 2026 in Norwalk, CA. (Ronaldo Bola\u00f1os \/ Los Angeles Times via Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\" readability=\"1.9433198380567\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/supreme-court-rules-legal-mail-in-ballots-after-election-day\/\"> Supreme Court approves mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day <\/a> <\/h3>\n<p> The ruling is a victory for election advocates who say the evidence overwhelmingly shows that voter fraud is rare and not tied to mail voting in general. <\/p>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/derek-johnson\/\"> Derek B. Johnson <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p> <\/header>\n<p> <\/article>\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/judge-strikes-down-trump-election-executive-order\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"252\" height=\"168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-3.jpg?resize=252%2C168&ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-sm size-ratio-16-9-sm wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg 4344w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-5.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> (Photo by Win McNamee\/Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/judge-strikes-down-trump-election-executive-order\/\"> Federal court rules Trump election-focused executive order illegal <\/a> <\/h3>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/derek-johnson\/\"> Derek B. Johnson <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p> <\/header>\n<p> <\/article>\n<article class=\"post-item post-item--popular-stories-cards \">\n<figure class=\"post-item__thumbnail\"> <a class=\"post-item__thumbnail-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/court-rules-save-database-illegal-orders-dismantling\/\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"252\" height=\"168\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-4.jpg?resize=252%2C168&ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-ratio-16-9-sm size-ratio-16-9-sm wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-7.jpg 4772w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-7.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-7.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-7.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-7.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-7.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-7.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-7.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-7.jpg?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-7.jpg?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like-7.jpg?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 252px) 100vw, 252px\"> <\/a><figcaption class=\"screen-reader-text\"> A voter casts a ballot in a drop box outside the Union Market Super Vote Center during early voting in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, October 28, 2020. (Photo By Tom Williams\/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<header class=\"post-item__meta\">\n<h3 class=\"post-item__title\"> <a class=\"post-item__title-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/court-rules-save-database-illegal-orders-dismantling\/\"> Court rules SAVE database illegal, orders it dismantled <\/a> <\/h3>\n<div class=\"post-item__byline\"> <span class=\"post-item__author\"> <span>By <\/span> <a class=\"post-item__author-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/author\/derek-johnson\/\"> Derek B. Johnson <\/a> <\/span> <\/div>\n<p> <\/header>\n<p> <\/article>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/div>\n<p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<section class=\"latest-podcasts\">\n<h2 class=\"latest-podcasts__title\"> Latest Podcasts\t<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"top-categories\">\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Government<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"top-categories__container\">\n<h3 class=\"top-categories__category-title\">Technology<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> <\/main> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--bottom \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"interstitial\" class=\"welcome__container\"> <button id=\"close-modal-1\" class=\"welcome__clickable_area\"><\/button> <\/p>\n<div class=\"welcome__ad_wrapper\">\n<p> <button id=\"close-modal-3\" class=\"welcome__continue-button\">Continue to CyberScoop<\/button> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>   <\/body> <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-voter-fraud-speech-call-it-desperation\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>State officials, election experts pan Trump speech: \u2018This is 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{"id":8839,"date":"2026-07-17T10:37:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T15:37:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=89854"},"modified":"2026-07-17T10:37:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T15:37:29","slug":"state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2026\/07\/17\/state-officials-election-experts-pan-trump-speech-this-is-what-desperation-looks-like\/","title":{"rendered":"State officials, election experts pan Trump speech: \u2018This is what desperation looks like\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"