President Donald Trump's political opponents claimed Russian disinformation campaigns were designed to get him elected over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and now the president is suggesting China will do the same to get Joe Biden elected.
Trump tweeted Wednesday night:
"China is on a massive disinformation campaign because they are desperate to have Sleepy Joe Biden win the presidential race so they can continue to rip-off the United States, as they have done for decades, until I came along!"
It is just the latest in a long history of Trump allegations of Biden's ties to China, and China's election meddling efforts to defeat the sitting U.S. president as he presses for reciprocal trade with the rival economic power.
Among the pointed comments connecting Biden to China and China to an anti-Trump election meddling campaign:
- China advocated for Democrats in the 2018 midterms, Trump claimed.
- Trump accused Biden's son Hunter of profiting off China.
- China disinformation campaigns saying tariffs are costing Trump-favoring midwestern farmers, in an effort to turn on the president's push for a trade deal so farmers would turn to Democrats, Trump claimed.
- The Trump campaign used Joe Biden's favorable words for China against him in ads.
- Trump allies have alleged liberal-leaning news networks are parroting China propaganda in an effort to tarnish the president and boost Democrats.
"I don't like it when they attack our farmers, and I don't like it when they put out false messages," Trump said in 2018. "But beside that, we learned that they are trying to meddle in our elections and we're not going to let that happen just as we're not going to let that happen with Russia."