The key facts

  • DHS appointees demanded that CISA secretly buy a voting machine and hack it, concealing vulnerabilities from the manufacturer — ProPublica, citing two former officials
  • CISA staff said the task was unfeasible, partly because specialists had been fired; the idea was dropped
  • Since Trump's return, CISA has lost more than 1,000 employees (about a third of its staff); states complain of a lack of help preparing for the midterm elections

A Covert Attempt to Hack a Voting Machine

Political appointees at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), shortly after the start of President Donald Trump's second term, pushed the cybersecurity agency CISA to quietly buy a voting machine and attempt to hack it, ProPublica reported on Monday. Two former administration officials told the outlet that the results were to be passed to the White House, and any vulnerabilities discovered were to be concealed from the machine's manufacturer, which would have been a departure from standard procedure.

Staff Reaction and Abandonment of the Task

Career staff viewed the request as a possible step toward political interference. One former official told the outlet: 'My thought was that they could keep it in their pocket to invalidate any election results they didn't like.' CISA staff repeatedly said the task was unfeasible, in part because the specialists capable of carrying it out had been fired as part of the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk. According to ProPublica, the appointees ultimately abandoned the idea.

Staff Cuts and States' Distrust

Since Trump's return to office, more than 1,000 CISA employees have been fired or pushed out, shrinking the agency by roughly a third. Its budget proposal for 2027 calls for a further cut of $700 million, which could mean laying off about 900 more people. Several state election offices said they received no help from CISA in preparing for the midterm elections. 'There's a difference between a lowered priority and no priority at all,' said Ryan Macias, an election security expert who consulted for the agency. States also report that the administration's publication of declassified materials about the 2020 election, which included confidential information shared with CISA in trust, undermined confidence. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said that during an August call he told acting CISA Director Nick Andersen that he did not trust him: 'They have essentially cut us off and left us to fend for ourselves.'

CISA's Plan and the White House Position

On September 24, CISA published a 13-page election security plan. Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows called the offer of support 'too little, too late.' White House spokesperson Lauren Bis stated that Trump 'has done more than any other president to ensure free and fair elections.'