Chris Krebs , the head of the Department of Homeland Security'sCybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, was fired by President Donald Trump on Tuesday via Twitter.- Krebs responded with a tweet from his personal account: "Honored to serve. We did it right. Defend Today, Secure Tomrorow. #Protect2020."
- Krebs has received an outpouring of praise from lawmakers and from cybersecurity officials abroad.
- Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Krebs "got fired because he did his job to protect our elections and stood up to Trump's conspiracy theories."
Chris Krebs, the head of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, responded with a tweet after President Donald Trump announced via Twitter on Tuesday that he had fired Krebs.
"Honored to serve. We did it right. Defend Today, Secure Tomrorow. #Protect2020," Krebs tweeted from his personal account.
—Chris Krebs (@C_C_Krebs) November 18, 2020
"I'm proud of the work we did at
Krebs had been at odds with Trump over the president's false claims of election fraud. Last week, CISA announced that it found "no evidence that any
Following the news of his firing, Krebs received a deluge of bipartisan and international support, including acknowledgments of CISA's work in safeguarding the US elections.
"Chris Krebs should be commended for his service in protecting our elections, not fired for telling the truth," said Michael Gwin, a spokesman for President-elect Joe Biden's campaign. "Bipartisan election officials in the administration itself — and around the country — have made clear that Donald Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud are categorically false."
Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the ranking member on the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, which also oversees federal elections, called Krebs' firing "a gut punch to our democracy."
"To use all caps like our outgoing President likes to do: OUTRAGE," she added.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a tweet that Krebs "got 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's pathetic, but sadly predictable that upholding and protecting our democratic processes would be cause for firing," Schiff added.
Sen. Angus King, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, described Krebs as "a dedicated public servant who has helped build up new cyber capabilities in the face of swiftly-evolving dangers."
"By firing him for doing his job, President Trump is harming all Americans — who rely on CISA's defenses, even if they don't know it," King said.
Sen. Mark Warner, the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said Krebs "is an extraordinary public servant and exactly the person Americans want protecting the security of our elections," adding, "It speaks volumes that the president chose to fire him simply for telling the truth."
Sen. Richard Burr, the former Republican chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, released a statement on Krebs' firing but did not outright criticize it. Burr praised Krebs' and CISA's work and said, "I wish him the best in his next chapter."
Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, appeared to be one of the first GOP members to condemn Krebs' firing.
"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," Sasse said.
Ciaran Martin, the founder and former head of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, chimed in with international support. "Not seeking to distract attention from the wider issues, but I just want to put on record a tribute to the outstanding service of @CISAKrebs," he said. "He's 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 bracing for his dismissal after the election, precisely because of his work to communicate the security of US elections.