Election security has been a major focus for President Trump, who recently urged Republicans in Congress to pass voting regulation legislation and delivered a primetime speech on the topic. However, since the beginning of his second term, the government has cut thousands of workers responsible for securing U.S. elections.

At the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the federal body tasked with protecting election systems, nearly 1,000 personnel—about one-third of its workforce—had left or been removed by mid-2025. Staffing dropped from approximately 3,400 to around 2,500 within a year. Some employees were terminated, while others resigned or took administrative leave. CISA stated these cuts would save about $10 million annually, reduce duplication, and allow resources to be redirected to mission-critical work.

CISA was created in 2018 during Trump’s first administration and initially received bipartisan support. After the 2020 election, when CISA director Chris Krebs called the election "the most secure in American history," President Trump criticized Krebs’ statement as "highly inaccurate" and subsequently fired him.

At the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), then-Director Tulsi Gabbard announced a restructuring that reduced the workforce by more than 40%, including significant cuts to the Foreign Malign Influence Center. Additionally, in April 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio closed the Counter Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference office, which succeeded the Global Engagement Center and worked to counter foreign information operations from Russia, China, and Iran that could influence American political discourse.

These staffing reductions come amid ongoing debates over election security and federal oversight.

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