Trump has made it clear since the beginning of his presidency when he became the first president to require his staff to sign non-disclosure agreements that he’s not a fan of whistleblowers or truth-tellers. On Tuesday night, he fired the Director of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Chris Krebs after he dared to say that the 2020 elections were secure, which would mean that Donald Trump simply lost the election.
After his firing, a few Republican senators came forward to criticize Trump for the firing, saying that he had done a good job investigating the vote counts and security measures and that Trump was wrong to fire him.
Ben Sasse (R-NE), who has frequently pushed back against Trump over the course of his presidency, said:
‘Chris Krebs did a really good job – as state election officials all across the nation will tell you – and he obviously should not be fired.’
Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC), who hadn’t so far challenged much of Trump’s actions or policies, was also critical, standing up for Krebs.
‘Chris Krebs is a dedicated public servant who has done a remarkable job during a challenging time. Chris and his team at CISA have worked diligently to strengthen our election infrastructure, helping to shore up vulnerabilities and build trust between State and Federal Governments. The creative and innovative campaign CISA developed to promote cybersecurity should serve as a model for other government agencies. Their efforts were essential in protecting the 2020 U.S. presidential election against threats of foreign interference. I’m grateful for all Chris has done and I wish him the best in his next chapter.’
Rob Portman (R-OH), was more succinct, telling reporters that:
‘I know Chris, I’ve worked well with him. I think he’s a real professional.’
Trump’s firing of Krebs took place, of course, on Twitter. Trump made it clear that he was firing Krebs for committing the ultimate sin: refusing to say the election was rigged and Donald Trump was the real winner. He told the truth and for that, he was fired.
Krebs didn’t seem too surprised by the news, tweeting shortly after his firing that he felt his team had done the right thing and that he was honored to have served his country in the Department of Homeland Security.
