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- Chris Krebs, head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, was fired by President Donald Trump on Tuesday via Twitter.
- Krebs responded with a tweet from his personal account: “It’s an honor to serve. We did well. Stand up for yourself today, secure the future. # Protect2020.”
- Krebs has received a great deal of praise from lawmakers and cybersecurity officials abroad.
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Krebs “was fired because he did his job to protect our elections and stood up to Trump’s conspiracy theories.”
- Visit the Business Insider home page for more stories.
Chris Krebs, head of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, responded with a tweet after President Donald Trump announced via Twitter Tuesday that he had fired Krebs.
“It’s an honor to serve. We did well. Stand up for yourself today, secure the future. # Protect2020,” Krebs tweeted from his personal account.
—Chris Krebs (@C_C_Krebs) November 18, 2020
“I am proud of the work we did at CISA,” Krebs told NBC News. “I am proud of the teammates I had at CISA. We did well.”
Krebs had disagreed with Trump over the president’s false claims of voter fraud. Last week, CISA announced that it found “no evidence that any voting system removed or lost votes, changed votes, or was compromised in any way.” Earlier Tuesday, Krebs used his official CISA Twitter account to again refute claims on faulty electoral infrastructure.
Following news of his firing, Krebs received an avalanche of bipartisan and international support, including recognition of CISA’s work to safeguard the American elections.
“Chris Krebs should be commended for his service in protecting our elections, not fired for telling the truth.” said Michael Gwin, campaign spokesman for President-elect Joe Biden. “Bipartisan election officials in the administration itself, and across the country, have made clear that Donald Trump’s claims of widespread voter fraud are categorically false.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a senior member of the Senate Administration and Rules Committee, which also oversees federal elections, called Krebs firing “a punch in the stomach for our democracy.”
“Capitalize the way our outgoing president likes to do: INQUIRY”, she added.
Senator Elizabeth Warren he said in a tweet that Krebs “was fired because he did his job to protect our elections and stood up to Trump’s conspiracy theories.”
In a statement, Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said Trump was “retaliating against Director Krebs and other officials who did their duty.”
“It is pathetic, but sadly predictable that defending and protecting our democratic processes will be grounds for firing,” added Schiff.
Senator Angus King, Member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, described Krebs as “A dedicated public servant who has helped develop new cyber capabilities in the face of rapidly evolving dangers.”
“By firing him for doing his job, President Trump is hurting all Americans, who trust CISA’s defenses, even if they don’t know it,” King said.
Senator Mark Warner, a senior member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Krebs said “He is an extraordinary public servant and exactly the person that Americans want to protect the security of our elections,” adding: “It says a lot that the president decided to fire him simply for telling the truth.”
Senator Richard Burr, former Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, issued a statement about Krebs’ firing, but did not openly criticize him. Burr praised the work of Krebs and CISA, saying, “I wish you the best in your next chapter.”
Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, appeared to be one of the first members of the Republican Party to condemn Krebs’ firing.
“Chris Krebs did a very good job, as state election officials across the country will tell you, and obviously he shouldn’t be fired.” Sasse said.
Ciaran Martin, Founder and Former Director of the UK National Cyber Security Center, intervened with international support. “I’m not looking to distract from the broader issues, but just want to put on record a tribute to @CISAKrebs’ outstanding service,” he said. “He has been the best partner an ally could hope for.”
Martin added that people in the US, the UK, “and beyond are safer online because of his work and leadership.”
Reuters reported last week that Krebs was preparing for his impeachment after the election, precisely because of his work to communicate the security of the US elections.
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