The United States faces heightened election security risks as federal agencies dismantle programs combating foreign meddling. Recent cuts to the FBI’s foreign influence task force and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have left states scrambling to fill critical gaps. “Our adversaries are upping their game every day,” warned former DHS cyber chief Suzanne Spaulding. “We’re tearing down our defenses when threats are rising.”
New Attorney General Pam Bondi disbanded the FBI’s foreign interference investigators last week, while CISA froze election security activities amid personnel cuts. Over 130 CISA staff—including 17 election security specialists—were fired or placed on leave. A senior DHS official confirmed the agency ended its cyber defense data-sharing program with state election offices.
“There’s less of a cop on the beat to protect our elections,” said Brennan Center expert Larry Norden. “Bad actors see this vulnerability.”
Key impacts of federal pullbacks include:
- Eliminated FBI monitoring of foreign disinformation campaigns
- Stalled threat alerts to election offices
- Reduced capacity to counter Russian, Chinese, or Iranian hacking
Los Angeles County Registrar Dean Logan stressed federal support is irreplaceable. In 2023-2024, federal teams intercepted suspicious ballot envelopes and alerted his office to bomb threats before local staff noticed them. “We can’t see everything while running elections,” Logan admitted.
Despite bipartisan outcry, Trump allies call the cuts necessary. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) praised disbanding the FBI unit as ending “political bias.” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused CISA of overstepping by fact-checking 2020 election misinformation.
States like Washington and Arizona now push local funding to replace lost federal resources. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes emphasized: “We need these services—regardless of which agency provides them.”
With the Foreign Malign Influence Center’s future uncertain under Trump-appointed leadership, security analysts fear systemic weaknesses. As Clemson University’s Darren Linvill noted: “The FBI’s dismantled task force will be sorely missed in 2026.”