WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — President Trump fired the nation’s top election official for saying the 2020 election was secure.
Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike agreed CISA Director Chris Krebs was doing his job well.
“Reinforcing the number one rule of working for Donald Trump, you can never tell the truth,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY).
Krebs had said allegations the election systems were manipulated were “unsubstantiated or are technically incoherent.”
Trump tweeted the statement was “highly inaccurate” and that “effective immediately, Chris Krebs has been terminated.”
So far, the president’s legal team hasn’t produced any evidence of widespread fraud. Democratic lawmakers, like Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren call Krebs’ firing “troubling.”
“The president is flailing around trying to find some way to overturn the votes of the American people,” said Lofgren (D-CA).
Just hours before Krebs’ termination, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Krebs’ work.
“No indication any foreign intervention succeeded — the elections were smoothly conducted,” McConnell said.
But afterward, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham defended the president.
“It’s the president’s right to do it but I don’t think there was any interference in our election by foreign powers,” Graham said. “Now, there may be some irregularities at the state level.”
Despite being fired, Krebs said he was “honored to serve” and later added, “In defending democracy, do or do not, there is no try.”