Trump officials asked CISA to secretly hack a voting machine — and not disclose any vulnerabilities they found
The vulnerabilities were not to be disclosed to anyone outside the White House, CISA was told.
During the early months of his second presidential term, officials from the Trump administration approached CISA with a request to covertly hack a voting machine. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) was instructed not to disclose any vulnerabilities they discovered to the voting machine manufacturer. Multiple former administration officials confirmed this request, stating that it violates CISA's standard practices of informing manufacturers about such vulnerabilities.
CISA, which has faced significant budget cuts and staff reductions under the Trump administration, was unable to perform this task due to its diminished resources. Many state officials have expressed skepticism and confusion over CISA's role in securing the midterms, fearing the agency has become politicized under Trump's leadership.
The White House has denied these allegations, claiming President Trump has prioritized free and fair elections. Early voting for the midterms has already begun in some states, but challenges have arisen as polling sites have been shut down or face resource constraints, disproportionately affecting college students who face transportation barriers.
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