Federal Agencies and Oversight

The article reports that the Trump administration has sharply cut the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s budget, eliminated roughly a third of its staff and frozen contracts, leaving state election officials with far less federal support for protecting the 2026 midterms against cyber and disinformation threats. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows says CISA was 'suddenly unavailable' when her office sought help before local elections and that states are now preparing both for foreign interference and potential federal meddling in results. The piece traces Trump’s sustained retaliation against CISA since it publicly rejected his false 2020 fraud claims—firing Director Chris Krebs, revoking his clearance, ordering an investigation, and installing as chief spokesperson Marci McCarthy, a former county GOP chair who has promoted Dominion conspiracy theories. Current and former officials warn that instead of being a neutral 'adult in the room,' CISA under Trump could misrepresent cyber incidents to cast doubt on unfavorable outcomes, especially as Trump and top aides float ideas about the federal government 'taking over' elections. CISA, for its part, denies it has pulled back, insisting it still provides threat intelligence and free tools to state and local partners.