United States President Donald Trump has directed the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to carry out a full investigation into alleged fraudulent voter registration activities in Michigan linked to the 2020 presidential election, renewing his longstanding claims of election irregularities.
Speaking during a national address on Thursday, Trump alleged that a large-scale voter registration operation in Michigan involved fraud and accused the administration of former President Joe Biden of failing to properly investigate the matter.
“Tonight, I am asking the FBI director to ensure the matter is fully investigated and to work with the Department of Justice to prosecute those responsible for any crimes,” Trump said.
The president also claimed that China had exploited U.S. voter data and alleged that thousands of non-citizens were registered to vote in the country. However, he did not provide evidence to support those claims.
During the address, the White House released a series of previously undisclosed law enforcement documents, including files relating to an investigation into suspicious voter registration forms submitted in Muskegon, Michigan, ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
The documents include a law enforcement timeline showing that investigative work continued into 2024, involving handwriting analysis and discussions on possible prosecution. However, no information was provided on whether any charges were ultimately filed.
The White House also released a 2021 email exchanged between FBI officials in which one official stated that individuals connected to the Michigan operation had submitted fraudulent voter registration applications.
“I understand that proving this was done ‘willfully’ would still be difficult, but I wanted to raise my concerns before closing the case,” the official wrote.
The case first came to public attention in October 2020 when the Michigan State Police announced that they were investigating irregularities in voter registration applications submitted to the Muskegon City Clerk’s Office.
According to the Michigan Attorney General’s Office, between 8,000 and 10,000 suspected fraudulent voter registration forms were delivered to the clerk’s office by an individual linked to a voter registration drive.
State authorities later referred the matter to the FBI for further investigation because of its federal jurisdiction.
