Federal drawdown of election support ‘destroyed’ ongoing relationships, experts say

A House hearing highlighted warnings from state officials and other experts who say the Trump administration’s dismantling of CISA’s election work damages trust and coordination before the 2026 midterms.

Efforts under President Donald Trump to scale back the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and its election security resources have strained relationships with state and local officials, raising concerns that jurisdictions may be far less prepared to counter threats to the November midterms, officials in Michigan and Georgia said Tuesday.

The warnings, delivered by state officials and other experts at a hearing hosted by Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee, come as the Trump administration has sought to expand the federal role in election administration through executive orders and the growing involvement of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in election-related matters, including an FBI raid on a Fulton County, Georgia elections office.

The drawdown of CISA election ...