‘He’s scared to death’ of the midterms
Democrats submit preliminary proposals on Thursday President Donald Trump’s prime time speech They expect to focus on the 2020 elections.
Georgia Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff, whose home state has been the target of many of the administration’s election challenges, told reporters Thursday: “If the president declares the election in Georgia illegitimate, or the president declares the incumbent U.S. senators in Georgia illegitimate, he is declaring the voters of Georgia illegitimate. It’s Donald Trump who is trying to defraud the voters of Georgia in this election.”
Ossoff is up for re-election in November, and his seat has been targeted by Republicans as a possible buying opportunity. He predicted Trump would use his speech to reiterate challenges to the 2020 election that failed in court.
Allison Robbert/AP Photo – PHOTO: Senator Jon Ossoff walks through the Capitol during votes in Washington, D.C., on July 16, 2026.
“This is what’s going to happen tonight: The world’s most famous loser will deliver a presidential sour grapes speech in prime time to continue his six-year-old grievances about the 2020 election, while his war in the Middle East spirals out of control and the cost of living for Americans continues to rise across the country,” Ossoff said.
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At a White House briefing on Thursday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt remained tight-lipped about what the president would say, except that he would discuss “protecting the integrity of our elections.”
When pressed by a reporter about concerns some Republicans have that the president is suing past elections that could alienate some undecided voters, Leavitt said Trump would focus on safe elections as the key to American democracy.
“I’ve seen a lot of reporting, and frankly false reporting, about what the president is going to say. I think the American people will be relieved to hear what they’ve heard from the president of the United States and his commitment to transparency and his focus on the integrity of our elections tonight,” he said.
Later, when pressed by ABC News’ Rachel Scott about the political concerns of some Republicans, Leavitt said only that people should wait until they hear the speech.
Allison Robbert/AP Photo – PHOTO: Senator Thom Tillis speaks to reporters at the Capitol during voting in Washington, D.C., on July 16, 2026.
Outgoing Republican Senators Thom Tillis, John Cornyn and Rep. Thomas Massie said Trump looking back at the 2020 election is not a productive message for the party as it enters the upcoming midterm cycle.
Asked if Trump’s focus on the 2020 elections heading into the midterms was a good message for Republicans, Tillis said: “No, not at all. Look, we can’t run that campaign again. Anytime you look back, you’re not looking forward, and I’m looking at this election, and the president should too.”
Massie said the White House is “trying to convince the American people that the issue is the election rather than other issues they’re worried about.”
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“The problem is not that we can’t win elections. The problem is that we didn’t keep the promises we made when we came here… So it’s a ruse because they’re trying to convince the American people that the problem is the elections. The problem is the people they elected.”
Cornyn said he wasn’t happy Jay Clayton answers He refused to answer who won regarding the 2020 election during the Senate Intelligence Committee’s confirmation hearing Tuesday to become Trump’s national intelligence director.
“I thought a lot of it was pretty stupid,” Cornyn said of Clayton’s performance. “I don’t know why we’re still talking about the 2020 election on both sides of the aisle. We have important work to do, and I think the most important thing is to get here in the midterms. “In the meantime, as we continue to do the people’s job and talk about what happened six years ago, I don’t think we’re doing them any favors.”
Allison Robbert/AP Photo – PHOTOSen. Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters outside the Capitol during voting in Washington, DC, on July 16, 2026.
Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said Trump’s speech could affect his vote for Clayton.
“If Donald Trump does what I expect and makes outrageous claims and uses those claims as an attempt to interfere with the election, boy oh boy, you need someone in that role more than ever to bring truth to power,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters that Trump was “scared to death that he’s going to lose in 2026” and was trying to change the subject.
“The bottom line is, if Trump wants to win the American people instead of haggling over 2020, he should focus on lowering people’s costs, eliminating chaos in government, getting rid of corruption,” Schumer said.
ABC News’ Michelle Stoddart contributed to this report
