President Trump fires top cybersecurity official over election dispute

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has fired the Director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Chris Krebs. Trump announced his decision in a tweet Tuesday evening.

Trump has persistently challenged the 2020 election results claiming voter fraud and irregularities despite not bringing forth any credible evidence. He and his lawyers have filed an avalanche of lawsuits in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Nevada where he lost to President-elect Joe Biden. A number of those lawsuits have been dismissed. An audit in Georgia is currently underway after Biden pulled out a slim victory over Trump.

Krebs disputed Trump’s claims in several tweets, claiming the election was secure.

Shortly after Trump’s tweet, Krebs stood his ground, tweeting, “Honored to serve. We did it right. Defend Today, Secure Tomorrow. #Protect2020.”

The Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council and the Election Infrastructure Sector Coordinating Council issued a joint statement last week, stating “The November 3rd election was the most secure in American history.”

“While we know there are many unfounded claims and opportunities for misinformation about the process of our elections, we can assure you we have the utmost confidence in the security and integrity of our elections, and you should too. When you have questions, turn to elections officials as trusted voices as they administer elections,” the statement further read.

According to Reuters, Krebs told associates he expected to be fired from his position.

Trump has yet to concede the race to Biden and has yet to authorize the release of funds needed for the transition. Biden is concerned that can have a devastating effect on the pandemic, claiming more people will die from the virus if Trump doesn’t cooperate.

Last week, a group of more than 150 former U.S. national security officials, senior military and elected officials, who served in Republican and Democratic administrations, warned in a letter to the General Services Administration Thursday that a delay in the transition from President Donald Trump’s administration to President-elect Joe Biden’s staff could pose a serious risk to national security.