Republican election officials have publicly criticized interventions by the Trump administration as the midterm elections approach, according to reporting released over the past two days. The criticism centers on both direct attempts to influence election administration and broader concerns about the Trump administration's use of federal agencies traditionally charged with protecting voting infrastructure.

According to ProPublica, political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security made an unusual request of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) a few months into President Trump's second term. The appointees requested that CISA secretly acquire a voting machine and hack it, then report findings to the White House without alerting the voting machine company—contrary to the agency's standard practices. Two former administration officials told ProPublica that CISA career staffers found the request shocking and feared they were being asked to participate in political interference. One former official said, "My thought was they could keep it in their back pocket to invalidate any [election] results they don't like. This goes against everything CISA represents." CISA employees told the political appointees the request was impossible, partly because relevant specialists had been laid off during the Department of Government Efficiency initiative led by Elon Musk. The appointees eventually ceased pressing the issue.

The ProPublica report indicates that CISA has been significantly weakened during Trump's second term. More than 1,000 CISA employees have been laid off or pushed out, reducing the agency by about one-third. Trump's 2027 budget proposal would cut CISA funding by another $700 million, potentially necessitating 900 additional layoffs. During 2025 and through mid-September 2026, CISA provided no assistance to several state election authorities during critical midterm planning stages, according to state officials cited in the ProPublica article. Ryan Macias, an election technology and cybersecurity expert who has worked as a consultant for CISA, told the outlet: "There is a difference between deprioritizing and being nonexistent. In 2025 and through mid-September 2026... they were nonexistent. Literally nonexistent."

State election officials told ProPublica they fear the remnants of CISA have been compromised by the administration. Some state authorities said they no longer trust the administration enough to share sensitive information with CISA, a relationship essential to the agency's success in past elections. This concern stems partly from the Trump administration's recent declassification of records, including sensitive material that state officials had provided to CISA. One former high-ranking federal cybersecurity official who now advises state governments told ProPublica: "They've violated the entire premise of that information-sharing relationship."

Beyond the cybersecurity concerns, tension within Trump's political operation has become public. According to Arynews reporting, President Trump is blaming senior aides and political operatives for faltering Republican midterm prospects just two weeks before the election. Trump has questioned campaign spending, faulted redistricting decisions, and second-guessed candidate choices. Much of the friction has centered on James Blair, who runs Trump's super PAC MAGA Inc., and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles. Trump faulted Blair's handling of campaign funds, while White House officials and allies questioned Wiles' oversight of the political operation. Blair pointed blame toward the White House legislative affairs team, creating what one source described as "a circular firing squad." White House spokesman Davis Ingle rejected characterizations of internal conflict, describing sources as "armchair experts peddling their baseless speculation."

Trump's frustrations became more public after Blair and Chris LaCivita, who co-managed Trump's 2024 campaign, traveled to Republika Srpska, a self-governing region of Bosnia, in early October to advise the regional government ahead of local elections for substantial payments. Trump distanced himself from both men on October 7, calling them "outside consultants" and warning on Truth Social that he would "terminate them, immediately!" if he found a conflict of interest. Senior White House officials questioned why Blair was taking on overseas work while overseeing the final stretch of the Republican campaign. One person said Wiles approved the trip without informing Trump. Blair responded in a statement: "All of this mudslinging is ridiculous, and counterproductive. President Trump and me are focused on helping Republicans win in November."

Polling data cited in the Arynews report suggests Democrats are positioned to win control of the House of Representatives, while Senate races remain competitive. Trump's approval rating is at its lowest point of his presidency, according to reporting, weighed down by voter concern over high prices and dissatisfaction with the Iran war. A loss of the House would hamper Trump's legislative agenda in the final two years of his term and give Democrats subpoena power to investigate his administration. Democratic lawmakers have called for an investigation into CISA's ability to protect election infrastructure given the staff reductions and shifting priorities.