One of the true accomplishments of the Trump administration was its effort to ensure a free and fair election in 2020, led by Chris Krebs. In 2017, at age 40, he became Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Infrastructure Protection. In 2018, he became Under Secretary of Homeland Security for the National Protection and Programs Directorate and a few months later, the first Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
Krebs helped state and local election officials protect election integrity by (among other things) securing paper ballots that could verify results in the event of recounts. No more hanging chads, a “nightmare that goes on haunting” after the 2000 Florida debacle. Like an ironic, dystopian novel, the Trump administration’s good work, led by Krebs, countered his narrative that the election was “stolen.” On November 17, 2020, Trump fired Krebs for telling the truth.
It’s sad that the Big Lie will be Trump’s enduring legacy. It’s sadder that obeisance to this false narrative is now a litmus test of loyalty to the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. The saddest part is that a significant percentage of our country accepts the lie and no longer supports democracy. In the midst of this mess, a Chris Krebs curtain call is appropriate. He is now Chief Intelligence and Public Policy Officer at SentinelOne, a fast-growing cybersecurity company.
From “SentinelOne to acquire cybersecurity consulting firm Krebs Stamos Group,” by Jonathan Greig, The Record, November 9, 2023.
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