Trump administration firings raise concerns about vulnerability of election systems

Over the last month, the U.S. government has worked quickly to pause, disband and dismantle the U.S. effort to fight foreign meddling in elections, raising concern among federal lawmakers and election officials across the country who rely on the federal cybersecurity agency and its counterparts to warn them about attacks on election systems. 

First came a flurry of notices forcing out Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency personnel who are tasked with stopping foreign interference in U.S. elections — at least a dozen have been put on leave or fired over the past month. Then, on Attorney General Pam Bondi's first day in office on Feb. 5, she disbanded the FBI task force targeting foreign influence operations originating from places like Russia, China and Iran. 

The focus on election security has been turned toward the past, rather than the future. In an internal memo earlier this month, CISA's acting director announced an internal investigation to assess every position and program that touches election security – including election misinformation and disinformation — dating back to President Trump's first term in office, with findings to be delivered in a final report on March 6.