Politics

Trump Fires Top Cybersecurity Official Christopher Krebs In A Tweet

President Donald Trump fired Christopher Krebs, the top cybersecurity official in the Department of Homeland Security, in a tweet Tuesday evening.

Krebs’ termination was expected after his office released a statement Thursday which said that the 2020 elections were “the most secure in American history.” Trump called Krebs’ statement “highly inaccurate,” and said that his termination was effective immediately.

Trump said in his tweets that the election had “massive improprieties and fraud – including dead people voting, Poll Watchers not allowed into polling locations, ‘glitches’ in the voting machines which changed votes from Trump to Biden, late voting, and many more.”

The recent statement by Chris Krebs on the security of the 2020 Election was highly inaccurate, in that there were massive improprieties and fraud – including dead people voting, Poll Watchers not allowed into polling locations, “glitches” in the voting machines which changed…

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 18, 2020

…votes from Trump to Biden, late voting, and many more. Therefore, effective immediately, Chris Krebs has been terminated as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 18, 2020

“All of the states with close results in the 2020 presidential race have paper accords of each vote, allowing the ability to go back and count each ballot if necessary,” Krebs’ statement said.

“This is an added benefit for security and resilience. This process allows for the identification and correction of any mistakes or errors. There is no evidence that any voting system deleted or lost votes, changed votes, or was in any way compromised,” the statement said.

Trump has repeatedly alleged that voter fraud cost him the election, though there is no evidence to support his claims. He has refused to concede to President-elect Joe Biden, and his administration has refused to begin the transition process.

Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper via tweet last week, and has floated firing additional officials including CIA Director Gina Haspel and FBI Director Christopher Wray before his term expires on Jan. 20.