Trump’s Cuts to Election Security During Second Term
Since his return to the White House, President Trump has overseen significant reductions in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) election work. This agency was established during his first term to partner with states on election security, sharing cybersecurity best practices and intelligence surrounding foreign intentions.
President Trump expressed concern for U.S. election security but did not mention these cuts in his recent speech. He promised, “We will be working closely to mitigate any harm and taking swift action to ensure that sensitive voter data is better protected, so it can never be bought or hacked and we can never watch it get stolen again.” Despite this pledge, the agency has suffered workforce reductions, losing around a third of its employees since January 2025, when they numbered 3,400.
During Trump’s initial term, the director of the agency, Christopher Krebs, validated the integrity of the 2020 election, leading to his dismissal from Trump’s administration. The government’s election security work was not favored by Trump.
In his second term, force reductions in CISA included more than a dozen election security workers being placed on leave as part of an investigation into the agency’s operations. This decision created a challenging environment for the remaining personnel, which numbered around 100 within the division.
Other federal bodies have also decreased their focus on election security. The F.B.I. and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence both reduced efforts. Under Tulsi Gabbard, the Foreign Malign Influence Center, which assesses foreign election threats, was dismantled.
This month, Trump dismissed the remaining three members of the Election Assistance Commission. This independent, bipartisan commission aids states in election administration, primarily focusing on cybersecurity support.
Dustin Volz, a cybersecurity and intelligence reporter for The Times, provided this information from Washington.