Trump Dismantles Government Fight Against Foreign Influence Operations
Trump Dismantles Government Fight Against Foreign Influence Operations is an article published by The New York Times on February 20, 2025. The piece is bSteven Lee Myers, Julian E. Barnes and Sheera Frenkel.
Note: This article is behind a paywall. We are providing a brief survey of the piece.
This article highlights sweeping changes in U.S. election security policy under the Trump administration, raising concerns about vulnerabilities to foreign interference. These changes have resulted in the dismantling of key government teams tasked with countering actual disinformation and safeguarding elections from cyber threats. The administration reassigned, forced out, or placed on administrative leave officials from the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) who had focused on identifying and mitigating foreign influence operations—particularly from Russia, China, and Iran. The administration shut down the FBI’s election security task force, which was formed after Russia’s interference in the 2016 election. Similarly, CISA has eliminated more than 130 positions and removed online resources that debunked misinformation about voting processes.
Defunding and Policy Justifications
In addition to personnel cuts, the administration also defunded key programs coordinating election security efforts between federal, state, and local officials. The administration shut down the State Department’s Global Engagement Center, which had been instrumental in countering foreign propaganda campaigns, after lawmakers did not renew its congressional mandate. The administration justifies these sweeping changes by citing concerns over free speech, with officials arguing that past counter-disinformation efforts amounted to government censorship and suppression of political viewpoints. Republicans in Congress have echoed these claims, arguing that previous efforts to flag foreign propaganda unfairly targeted conservative voices.
Concerns Over Foreign Influence Vulnerabilities
National security experts, however, have expressed deep concerns that dismantling these programs will leave the U.S. more vulnerable to covert foreign influence campaigns aimed at disrupting democratic institutions and sowing domestic division. Analysts warn that these influence operations often exploit and deepen political polarization while undermining public confidence in elections. The decision to eliminate these defenses, some argue, could embolden foreign adversaries and make the U.S. more susceptible to manipulation.
Despite these concerns, administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have downplayed the risks of foreign election interference. In a recent speech, Vance dismissed the idea that a few hundred thousand dollars in digital ads from foreign actors could destabilize a strong democracy, suggesting that if such influence could sway an election, the system was weak to begin with. This perspective contrasts sharply with assessments from intelligence and security professionals who emphasize that modern influence operations are more sophisticated, targeting both public perception and institutional trust.
Debate Over Free Speech and National Security
As the administration implements these policy changes, the debate over election security and foreign interference is far from over. With critical elections on the horizon, questions remain: Will dismantling these defenses expose the U.S. to greater risks from adversarial influence campaigns? Or is the government’s role in combating disinformation overblown, thereby infringing on free speech?
Free speech is the cornerstone of our democracy. The implications of these decisions will shape the future of U.S. electoral integrity and national security in an era of persistent digital threats.
