Former Cybersecurity Agency Director Faces Revoked Global Entry Privileges After Criticism

Chris Krebs, who previously served as head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency under President Trump's tenure, has had his Global Entry membership revoked, a fact confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday.

This action follows a directive from President Trump, issued last month, which criticized Krebs for upholding the legitimacy of the 2020 election—a claim President Trump has repeatedly and falsely contested. The order instructed key figures, including Attorney General Pam Bondi and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, to suspend security clearances linked to Krebs and associates, particularly at his then-employer, a cyber security firm.

Recently, Krebs, who works with CBS News as a cyber security analyst, announced his resignation from the company SentinelOne.

The presidential memo also mandated a review of Krebs' conduct during his service at the federal level, specifically with CISA.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security revealed that law enforcement agencies are actively investigating Krebs, rendering him ineligible for the Global Entry program.

Global Entry is a trusted traveler program that expedites U.S. customs screening for pre-vetted, low-risk travelers. Ongoing investigations by any federal, state, or local law enforcement agency can disqualify an individual from participating.

In 2020, Krebs was dismissed after refuting President Trump's unsubstantiated allegations of widespread voter fraud. Shortly after the November 3, 2020 election, CISA released a bipartisan statement declaring the election the most secure in U.S. history, affirming no evidence existed of vote tampering or systems compromise.

On announcing Krebs' removal, President Trump labeled CISA's statement as highly erroneous, though none of the numerous lawsuits contesting the 2020 election results succeeded.

Despite these outcomes, President Trump persists in claiming election theft and remains committed to retaliatory efforts against his political adversaries and critics. Besides Krebs, the president issued orders affecting former special counsel Robert Mueller and his team members, despite their departure.

The administration has also targeted security clearances tied to former Vice President Kamala Harris and past Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, candidates in past presidential elections, along with various administrative members.

Similar punitive efforts included a directive against Miles Taylor, a past Department of Homeland Security official, who authored a critical book under a pseudonym during Trump’s initial presidency term.