By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON –US President Donald Trump on Monday has claimed that the US conducts intelligence operations against China and Russia more effectively than either country spies on America, brushed aside espionage concerns during a final campaign push before Tuesday’s midterm elections.
Trump’s espionage remarks came 2 days after two Chinese nationals were sentenced to prison for clandestine intelligence activities targeting US military personnel.
He was speaking at a Republican rally in Dubuque, Iowa, on Sunday, Trump acknowledged that both countries gather intelligence on the US but insisted Washington was doing the same more successfully.
“China, Russia, they’re spying on us, sir. I said, that’s true. And we’re doing it to them also. But we do it even better. So don’t worry about it,” he said.
The remarks came as Trump sought to rally Republican voters ahead of the November 3 elections, which will determine control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Media reported that on October 30, Liren “Ryan” Lai, 40, and Yuance Chen, 39, were each sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for offences involved unregistered activity as agents of the Chinese government.
According to the Justice Department, both men operated under the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security, facilitating secret payments, gathering information about American military installations and personnel, and assisting efforts to recruit potential intelligence assets within the US military.
The department said the activities included arranging a clandestine payment of approx $10,000 in California in January 2022 and obtaining photographs and other information involving US naval facilities and personnel.
Both men were arrested in June 2025 after a Federal Bureau of Investigation counterintelligence operation.
Trump said beyond intelligence gathering, he used his Iowa appearance to defend the American military campaign against Iran, claimed that Tehran’s military capabilities and leadership had been severely weakened.
“We didn’t start it. We’re finishing it. We’re beating the crap out of them,” he told supporters.
“They have no radar. They have no anti-aircraft weaponry. They have no leaders,”
Trump said, adding that the loss of Iranian leaders had complicated efforts to identify negotiating partners.
“There’s nobody to talk to. I’m trying to find somebody to talk to. Nobody wants to be president.”
He was speaking in Dubuque, Trump travelled to Salina, Kansas, where he returned to economic concerns, particularly inflation and energy prices.
“Your inflation for the last three months is 1.7 per cent way down. I inherited high prices from sleepy Joe Biden. I didn’t cause it,” he said.
Trump also defended the economic impact of the Iran conflict, argued that higher fuel prices were justified by American security interests.
“When that war is over, it’s going to come plunging,” he said of oil prices, describing the additional costs as “a very small price to pay for the security of this country and for the world.”
His remarks came as Republicans faced competitive congressional contests in both Iowa and Kansas, despite Trump’s victories in the two states during the 2024 presidential election.
All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats are being contested on November 3.
Republicans entered the election cycle with a 53-47 majority in the Senate and a narrow advantage in the House.
The election will determine whether Republicans retain control of Congress for the remainder of Trump’s presidential term or face a divided government that could complicate his legislative priorities.
The results on Tuesday will provide the first nationwide electoral measure of how voters have responded to those issues during Trump’s second term.
