Ex-Trump official H.R. McMaster testifies: election doubt aids adversaries

Former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster delivered a pointed critique of President Donald Trump on Tuesday, stating that sowing doubt in American elections amounts to "doing the bidding of our adversaries."

Testifying before the House Select Committee on Intelligence, McMaster—who served in the first Trump administration for over a year before being fired in 2018—was asked about the security and integrity of U.S. elections.

"Yes, Americans should trust in the electoral process. Certainly there are improvements that can be made, and I think in the face of these kind of attacks to reduce our confidence in the outcome of elections," he said.

McMaster went on to reference the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and Trump's recent address to the nation, in which the former president:

• Aired grievances about his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden
• Blamed China for supposed election interference
• Railed against mail-in ballots

"I think any time a political leader compromises confidence in our democratic processes to score partisan points, I think that they're actually aiding and abetting our adversaries who want to reduce that confidence," McMaster said.

Watch the full clip of McMaster's testimony here:

Former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster on trusting the electoral process: "What happens too often, whether it's the president or whether it's certain members of Congress...when they raise doubts about elections, they're actually doing the bidding of our adversaries." — CSPAN (@cspan) July 21, 2026