--- title: "DHS Appointees Asked CISA to Hack Voting Machine" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/dhs-appointees-asked-cisa-to-hack-voting-machine" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/dhs-appointees-asked-cisa-to-hack-voting-machine" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/dhs-appointees-asked-cisa-to-hack-voting-machine.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/dhs-appointees-asked-cisa-to-hack-voting-machine" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-19T18:25:11.703Z" source_reported: "2026-10-19T17:27:02.000Z" updated: "2026-10-19T18:25:11.703Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 61 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-19T18:15:18.960186+00:00" --- # DHS Appointees Asked CISA to Hack Voting Machine *Career staff reportedly found the request alarming and contrary to agency practice.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to ProPublica, with two independent outlets and named former officials. - Craft 61 of 100, higher is better. Reports quote affected staff and explain the context and implications of the events. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headlines use loaded language like 'alarmed' and 'panic' but the body is more measured. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security requested that CISA secretly acquire and hack a voting machine. - The appointees wanted the findings delivered to the White House. - CISA staff were instructed not to warn the manufacturer about any discovered flaws, a departure from standard procedure. - Career staff reportedly found the proposal alarming and feared political interference, leading to the operation not proceeding. Political appointees within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asked the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to secretly obtain and hack a voting machine. The findings from this operation were intended to be delivered to the White House. Staff at CISA were also instructed not to inform the machine's manufacturer about any vulnerabilities discovered, which was a deviation from the agency's usual practices. Career staff at CISA reportedly found the request alarming and contrary to the agency's mission of protecting election systems. They feared the operation could lead to political interference. The operation did not proceed because CISA staff informed the appointees that it was not possible to carry out. ## Disagreement on reasons for operation's failure IBTimes UK reported that staff repeatedly told the appointees the operation was not possible, partly because specialists capable of executing the task had recently been dismissed due to cuts. Diario Bitcoin stated that workers explained to the political appointees that the operation was not viable for several reasons, including the recent dismissal of agents with the capacity to execute it by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or centre-rated reports mentioned the specific figure of $707 million in proposed budget cuts for CISA in 2027, which was reported by Diario Bitcoin. No right-rated outlet ran this story. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 83% (5) - Centre: 17% (1) - Right: 0% (0) 3 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-19T18:15:18.960186+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 3 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-19T19:00:17.162Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports focused on the request for CISA to secretly acquire and hack a voting machine, highlighting that political appointees at DHS made the request. Multiple reports noted that staff were told not to warn the manufacturer of any flaws found, a break from standard practice. The alarming nature of the proposal for career staff and fears of political interference were also emphasised. IBTimes UK quoted a former official saying, 'My thought was they could keep it in their back pocket to invalidate any [election] results they don't like.' These reports also mentioned that the operation did not happen because staff said it was not possible, with IBTimes UK adding that specialists capable of the task had been let go due to cuts. The context of staff and funding cuts at CISA was also a prominent theme, with IBTimes UK detailing a proposed budget cut of $700 million for Fiscal Year 2027 and a reduction of about a third in the workforce since Trump returned to office. Alternet's headline stated, 'Panic sparked as Trump admin orders cyber agents to hack voting machines,' and Raw Story's headline read, 'Officials fear cybersecurity agency meant to protect US elections compromised by Trump.' ### Centre - The centre-rated report from Political Wire led with the request made by Trump appointees for a voting machine to be hacked. It noted that the appointees wanted the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to procure the machine, examine it, and report the findings back. The report also mentioned that staff were instructed not to warn the manufacturer of any flaws found, which was a departure from standard practice. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 4 - unknown: 3 - veryHigh: 2 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/trump-voting-machines-2678105714) — Officials fear cybersecurity agency meant to protect US elections compromised by Trump - [Truthdig](https://truthdig.com/articles/the-gutting-of-election-security) — The Gutting of Election Security - [DiarioBitcoin](https://diariobitcoin.com/estados-unidos/cisa-bajo-presion-la-peticion-de-hackear-una-maquina-de-votacion-que-alarmo-a-sus-empleados) — CISA, Under Pressure: the Request to Hack Into a Voting Machine that Alarmed Its Employees - [The Daily](https://thedailypoliticususa.com/p/trump-dhs-tried-to-secretly-hack) — Trump DHS Tried to Secretly Hack Voting Machine - [IBTimes UK](https://ibtimes.co.uk/trump-appointees-cisa-hack-voting-machine-1826479) — Trump Officials Asked Election Security Agency to Secretly Obtain and Hack a Voting Machine, Report Finds - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/10/19/trump-appointees-wanted-a-voting-machine-hacked) — Trump Appointees Wanted a Voting Machine Hacked - [Alternet](https://alternet.org/voting-machines-hack) — Panic sparked as Trump admin orders cyber agents to hack voting machines - [ProPublica](https://propublica.org/article/cisa-election-security-donald-trump) — This Cybersecurity Agency Is Supposed to Protect U.S. Elections. Officials Fear It’s Been Compromised by Trump. - [National Cyber Security](https://nationalcybersecurity.com/securing-the-modern-mainframe-a-cisos-guide-to-preserving-availability-integrity-and-trust-hacking-cybersecurity-infosec-comptia-pentest-ransomware) — Securing the Modern Mainframe - A CISO’s Guide to Preserving Availability, Integrity, and Trust | #hacking | #cybersecurity | #infosec | #comptia | #pentest | #ransomware - National Cyber Security Consulting ## Questions **What did political appointees at DHS ask CISA to do?** Political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security asked CISA to secretly acquire and hack a voting machine. They also wanted the findings delivered to the White House and for CISA staff not to warn the manufacturer about any flaws discovered. **Why did the operation not happen?** The operation did not proceed because CISA staff informed the political appointees that it was not possible to carry out. Some reports suggest this was partly due to the recent dismissal of specialists capable of performing such a task. **How did CISA staff react to the request?** Career staff at CISA reportedly found the proposal alarming and contrary to the agency's standard practices. They feared the operation could be used for political interference and was against the agency's mission. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/dhs-appointees-asked-cisa-to-hack-voting-machine. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "DHS Appointees Asked CISA to Hack Voting Machine", https://mediabias.news/politics/dhs-appointees-asked-cisa-to-hack-voting-machine