The Real Threat to Our Elections Is Donald Trump

Key Points:

• The company behind Truth Social, largely owned by Donald Trump and his family, is launching a premium service offering early access to posts from Trump and top accounts for a fee, though demand for such a service is questionable.
• A 2021 National Intelligence Council report found no evidence of foreign interference in the technical aspects of the 2020 election but highlighted efforts by foreign actors to undermine public confidence in U.S. elections, a tactic mirrored by Trump’s own repeated false claims.
• Trump’s recent speech perpetuated unsubstantiated claims about election fraud and foreign interference, actively undermining trust in U.S. elections more destructively than foreign adversaries, according to analysis comparing his rhetoric to intelligence assessments.
• Polls indicate low approval ratings for Trump, with only about 38% approval and 61% disapproval, suggesting he faces significant challenges in upcoming elections and motivating efforts to influence election outcomes through questionable means.
• Additional political developments include a White House teleprompter operator under investigation for profiting from insider knowledge of Trump’s speeches, ongoing U.S. airstrikes targeting Iranian infrastructure, and internal GOP struggles over legislative priorities ahead of midterms.