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Trump Claimed Our Election System is Vulnerable. Then He Dismantled Cyber Defenses

From online disinformation to foreign meddling and the risks new technology poses, what are the actual vulnerabilities of our election system?
U.S. President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the East Room of the White House on July 16, 2026 in Washington, DC.  (Saul Loeb/Pool - Getty Images)

Political Breakdown continues an ongoing series on election integrity in America.

President Donald Trump repeatedly claims that the American election system is vulnerable and easily compromised. He has gone after electronic voting machines and ballot-counting systems, alleged that more than 250,000 noncitizens are on the voter rolls of four states and claimed foreign interference in the 2020 election from countries like China. 

Marisa is joined by NPR correspondent Shannon Bond to parse out the actual vulnerabilities. They discuss the difference between foreign interference and influence, AI’s growing role in political messaging, the loosening of online platform moderation and cuts to cybersecurity offices. 

If you missed them, you can still listen to our first three episodes in this series: 

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