Teased bits of Trump's national address get an icy reception on CNN
President Donald Trump speaks during a Freedom 250 Grand Prix Showcase at the White House in Washington, D.C., on July 13, 2026. REUTERS/Kylie Cooper
July 14, 2026
Some parts of President Donald Trump's upcoming national address, as teased in the media, received an icy reception on CNN.
Trump is scheduled to give a national address on Thursday at 9 p.m. ET. Ahead of the speech, some reporters have noted that Trump plans to declare Democratic Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff of Georgia "illegitimate" because of alleged "election fraud." Others have suggested that Trump plans to revive conspiracy theories about the 2020 election through newly declassified information during the address.
The panel on CNN's "The Lead" with Jake Tapper on Tuesday was having none of it.
Daniel Dale, CNN senior reporter, argued that the speech is happening at a time when "we're approaching sixyears of him lying that he won [the 2020 general election]."
\"Recently, he's begun sayingthat so much proof has alreadyemerged of his claims that theelection was rigged, and that hewas the real winner. No suchproof has emerged," Dale said. "He's evenstarted saying that he is in histhird term as president. So, he'sinventing an imaginary andunconstitutional victory."
Jeff Duncan, the former lieutenant governor of Georgia, told Tapper that Trump's 2020 election comments could come back to bite Republicans in the midterms.
"I can assure you, most Republicans, especially thosethat are on the ballot, not onlyin Georgia but across thecountry, do not want Donald Trump rehashing the 2020election," Duncan said.
Alyssa Farah Griffin, a former Trump administration spokesperson, warned that Trump may use the address to introduce new information to further one of his conspiracy theories, particularly information from Acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte.
"Is theresomething that materializes fromhis corridor of the trumpuniverse? That's what I'll be watching," she said.