Trump ran on a promise of revenge. He's making good on it

Senate committee advances Trump nominee to lead cybersecurity agency that protects election systems

President Donald Trump is alleging that officials in Joe Biden’s administration might have in effect forged their boss's signature and taken broad actions he wasn’t aware of.

A former Homeland Security official during President Donald Trump’s first administration wants independent government watchdogs to investigate after Trump ordered Homeland Security to look into his government service.

In his first 100 days, President Donald Trump has exerted his power on a scale with no easy historical comparison.

President Donald Trump is intensifying his efforts to punish his critics by signing a pair of memoranda directing the Justice Department to investigate two officials from his first administration and stripping them of any security clearances they may have.

The nation’s cybersecurity agency has played a critical role in helping states shore up the defenses of their voting systems, but its election mission appears uncertain amid sustained criticism from Republicans and key figures in the Trump administration.

Outgoing U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly says she hopes her agency will be able to keep up its election-related work.

This Friday, Jan. 8, 2021 image shows the suspended Twitter account of President Donald Trump. On Friday, the social media company permanently suspended Trump from its platform, citing "risk of further incitement of violence." (AP Photo/Tali Arbel)WASHINGTON – Social media companies decided this past week they had finally seen enough from President Donald Trump. Facebook and Instagram suspended Trump at least until Inauguration Day. That’s not how this works,” said Chris Krebs, when asked Sunday whether censorship by social media companies violated freedom of speech protections.

While abrupt, the dismissal Tuesday of Christopher Krebs, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, was not a surprise. Hours before being dismissed, Krebs tweeted out a report citing 59 election security experts saying there is no credible evidence of computer fraud in the 2020 election outcome. Biden campaign spokesman Michael Gwin noted that bipartisan election officials have dismissed Trump’s claims of widespread fraud. Some state election officials and Republicans, suspicious of federal intrusion on their turf, were opposed to the designation. But the Trump administration supported the designation, and, eventually, skeptical state officials welcomed the assistance.

While abrupt, the dismissal of Christopher Krebs, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, was not a surprise. Hours before being dismissed, Krebs tweeted out a report citing 59 election security experts saying there is no credible evidence of computer fraud in the 2020 election outcome. Biden campaign spokesman Michael Gwin noted that bipartisan election officials have dismissed Trump’s claims of widespread fraud. Some state election officials and Republicans, suspicious of federal intrusion on their turf, were opposed to the designation. But the Trump administration supported the designation, and, eventually, skeptical state officials welcomed the assistance.

MIAMI – An automated call warning Florida voters of long lines at polling sites is a fraudulent voter suppression tactic. According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Florida residents need to ignore the Election Day robocalls. Chris Krebs, the director of CISA, released a public message about rumor control efforts. He said various actors may try to introduce chaos and make sensational claims that overstate their capabilities. The FBI, which works with CISA, is investigating the source of the fake calls.

(AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)WASHINGTON – Four weeks ahead of Election Day, senior national security officials provided fresh assurances about the integrity of the elections in a video message Tuesday, putting them at odds with President Donald Trump’s efforts to discredit the vote. “That's because of an all-of-nation, unprecedented election security effort over the last several years." The video was released as U.S. officials have revealed ongoing foreign efforts to interfere in the election, including Russian attempts to denigrate Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. "Despite these nefarious efforts, our election system remains resilient," said Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. “Rest assured that the security of the election, and safeguarding your vote is, and will continue to be one of our highest priorities,” Wray said.