Chris Krebs: security clearance revoked and a review of his government service ordered by presidential memo

Clearance revoked by presidential memo; review of his government activities by the Attorney General and DHS ordered; no charges filed as of the write-up date

On April 9, 2025, Trump signed a memo revoking the security clearance of Chris Krebs, his own first-term CISA director, whom he fired in November 2020 after Krebs publicly confirmed the 2020 election was secure and contradicted Trump's fraud claims, and directing the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to review his activities as a government employee, calling him a 'significant bad-faith actor.' Krebs resigned from his private-sector position the same day the memo was signed.

The memo was part of a broader January 20, 2025 executive order revoking clearances for roughly 50 former officials, but the April 9 action singled out Krebs by name for both clearance revocation and a directed review of his government service, five years after the conduct (contradicting the president's own election claims) that appears to be the memo's subject.

In a public resignation statement, Krebs framed the action as retaliation for his public role affirming the 2020 election's integrity, calling it part of 'a fight for democracy' and the 'rule of law.'

Documented

No indictment on record; no court challenge to the memo identified

2025-04-09