Peter Navarro told Bill O'Reilly the White House is "worried" China could interfere in the 2026 midterms and again in 2028, citing alleged foreign efforts during the 2020 election. The administration has accused China of manufacturing tens of thousands of fake driver’s licenses in 2020 and of stealing voter registration data for about 220 million Americans. The FBI says investigators found evidence that data harvested from millions of TikTok users — including names, addresses and device information — could have been used to fabricate licenses. Navarro framed these allegations as part of a broader pattern of hostile activity by Beijing, and analysts warn current indicators favor Democrats heading into November.
Navarro Warns White House ‘Worried’ China Could Interfere In 2026 And 2028 Elections
Peter Navarro Tells Bill O’Reilly Trump Admin Is ‘Worried’ About China Interfering in Midterms
Peter Navarro, a trade adviser to President Donald Trump, told Bill O'Reilly on Thursday that the White House is concerned China could attempt to meddle in the 2026 midterm elections — and potentially again in 2028.
Administration Allegations and FBI Findings
Navarro said the administration believes Beijing has both the intent and the capability to interfere. "They have the capabilities [to interfere] and we're worried about this coming election in '26 and again in '28," he told the former Fox News host.
In July, the Trump administration publicly accused China of producing what it described as "tens of thousands" of fake driver’s licenses in 2020 to enable Chinese nationals to vote for then-candidate Joe Biden. The administration released a trove of documents to support its allegations and also asserted that China stole voter registration data for roughly 220 million Americans.
Federal investigators, including the FBI, have said the alleged scheme involved harvesting user data from millions of TikTok accounts. Authorities say the stolen information reportedly included names, addresses and device identifiers — details the FBI called critical to fabricating bogus documents.
Navarro’s Broader National Security Concerns
"They attack us every day. They're hacking our financial system, they steal our intellectual property, they massively subsidize industries and put ours out of business," Navarro said, framing the election worries as part of a larger pattern of hostile activity by Beijing.
Context: Diplomacy and Domestic Politics
Navarro's warning came about a week after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the United States for a three-day trip. Trump described Xi's visit as "very productive" for both countries, and China's foreign ministry said it "respects" Trump's informal reference to artificial intelligence as "super intelligence."
Separately, many election analysts have signaled trouble for Trump and Republicans heading into November, noting polls and structural indicators that currently favor Democrats. CNN data analyst Harry Enten warned a potential "blue wave," while statistician Nate Silver said that "every indicator" looks unfavorable for Republicans except that they currently have more campaign funds than Democrats.
Why This Matters
Whether these allegations are ultimately proven in full, the claims underscore the Trump administration's stated concerns about foreign influence operations, digital vulnerabilities tied to social media platforms, and the integrity of future U.S. elections. The debate is likely to shape discussions of election security, social media regulation, and U.S.-China relations ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Jason Cohen contributed to this report.
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