Since returning to the White House, substantial changes have occurred within the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the lead federal partner for states on election security. Around a third of its workforce has been reduced.
President Trump has directed prosecutors to scrutinize Christopher Krebs, a former top cybersecurity aide. Krebs validated the integrity of the 2020 election, falling out of Trump’s favor, which led to his termination. Trump has overseen significant cuts to election security efforts, including within CISA. These reductions have come despite his expressed commitment to safeguarding U.S. election security.
In his recent speech, Trump assured that efforts would be made to protect sensitive voter data from being compromised. However, he avoided addressing the cuts made to the agency tasked with election security.
CISA was established during Trump’s first term to partner with states on election security, enhancing their cybersecurity strategies and sharing intelligence regarding foreign election threats. However, Trump’s perception of the agency soured later in his term, particularly after Krebs endorsed the integrity of the 2020 election.
Under Trump’s second term, CISA’s workforce decreased from 3,400 personnel in January 2025. More than a dozen CISA election security staff were placed on leave in February last year due to an investigation into their election-related work. Consequently, a chilling effect impacted the roughly 100 people in the division. Notably, CISA has lacked a Senate-confirmed leader throughout Trump’s second presidency.
Other federal bodies have similarly scaled down their election security work. This includes the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, headed by Tulsi Gabbard. The Foreign Malign Influence Center, tasked with monitoring foreign election threats, was gutted.
Additionally, Trump expelled the last three members of the Election Assistance Commission, a bipartisan body supporting states in administering elections. Much of the commission’s work concentrated on providing cybersecurity aid to states.