Trump to Address Nation at 9:00 p.m. Thursday

by Sharon Rondeau

(Jul. 16, 2026) — President Trump will give an address to the nation from the Oval Office Thursday at 9:00 p.m.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed during Thursday’s afternoon briefing that the president plans to speak about election integrity, among other topics.

As she took questions from reporters, one journalist asked why the president “can’t let go” of his claim that he won the 2020 election against Democrat Joe Biden. Leavitt responded that the president will be presenting “facts and evidence” in that regard and advised the media to report on the speech with “a little bit of honesty” and to air the speech in its entirety.

She emphasized the president’s continued desire to pass the “Save America Act” which has stalled in the U.S. Senate after passing the House three times.

Leavitt added that numerous outlets are reporting erroneously on the contents of the address.

Fox News’s Aishah Hasnie asked who will operate the teleprompter this evening after it was discovered a former operator allegedly had been using his position to engage in “prediction-market bets” on a platform regulated by the U.S. government known as “Kalshi.” The individual has been put on administrative leave without pay, Leavitt confirmed.

“Will he talk about Iran?” another reporter asked, to which Leavitt replied it “could very well be possible” Iran would be one of the subjects he would include.

Leavitt indicated Trump will be “making a very important announcement” about election integrity. The reporter then asked if Trump “considered election integrity more important” than Iran, to which Leavitt said it is “a question of timing.”