Addressing Risks from Chris Krebs and Government Censorship
This presidential memorandum directs the immediate revocation of Christopher Krebs's security clearance and initiates a comprehensive review of both his activities and those of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) under his leadership.
The actions are justified by allegations that Krebs abused his authority to suppress free speech, engaging in censorship and distorting public opinion concerning the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The review will evaluate Krebs’ conduct for any violations of federal suitability standards and unauthorized dissemination of classified information, ultimately leading to a report with recommendations for remedial actions.
Arguments For
Protecting Free Speech: The actions are justified as necessary to uphold the First Amendment rights of Americans and counter government censorship.
Accountability for Abuse of Power: The memorandum holds Christopher Krebs accountable for alleged abuse of his authority as head of CISA, which allegedly involved suppressing dissenting voices and distorting public opinion.
National Security Concerns: Revoking security clearances is presented as necessary to protect national security by preventing individuals who allegedly abused their positions from accessing sensitive information. The review process further protects against future occurrences.
Preventing Future Censorship: The ordered review of CISA's actions aims to prevent future instances of government censorship and ensure that federal agencies respect free speech rights. The review will identify corrective measures and preventative actions.
Transparency and Oversight: The requirement for a joint report from the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security increases transparency and allows for oversight of actions related to Mr. Krebs's tenure at CISA.
Arguments Against
Due Process Concerns: The memorandum's actions could be seen as violating Mr. Krebs's due process rights by revoking his security clearance without a full and fair hearing.
Overreach of Executive Power: Critics may argue that the President's actions represent an overreach of executive power, potentially setting a dangerous precedent for future administrations.
Partisan Motivation: The allegations against Mr. Krebs could be perceived as politically motivated, potentially undermining the integrity of the process and creating a chilling effect on dissent.
Impact on National Security: Revoking security clearances broadly, pending review, might harm national security by hindering information-sharing and operational effectiveness.
Scope of Review: The length and breadth of the required review could strain resources, slow down governmental operations, and could be seen as an inefficient use of taxpayer funds.
MEMORANDUM FOR THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES
This is the standard heading for a presidential memorandum, indicating that the following instructions are binding on the heads of various federal agencies.
The Federal Government has a constitutional duty and a moral responsibility to respect and promote the free speech rights of Americans. Yet in recent years, elitist leaders in Government have unlawfully censored speech and weaponized their undeserved influence to silence perceived political opponents and advance their preferred, and often erroneous, narrative about significant matters of public debate. These disgraceful actions have taken the form of coercive threats against the private sector — including major social media platforms — to suppress conservative or dissenting voices and distort public opinion. Much of this censorship took place during a Presidential election with the apparent purpose of undermining the free exchange of ideas and debate.
The memorandum establishes the context by asserting a commitment to free speech and criticizing government censorship.
It alleges that influential figures unlawfully silenced dissenting voices, particularly on social media, for partisan purposes, impacting particularly the 2020 Presidential election.
Christopher Krebs, the former head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), is a significant bad-faith actor who weaponized and abused his Government authority. Krebs’ misconduct involved the censorship of disfavored speech implicating the 2020 election and COVID-19 pandemic. CISA, under Krebs’ leadership, suppressed conservative viewpoints under the guise of combatting supposed disinformation, and recruited and coerced major social media platforms to further its partisan mission. CISA covertly worked to blind the American public to the controversy surrounding Hunter Biden’s laptop. Krebs, through CISA, promoted the censorship of election information, including known risks associated with certain voting practices. Similarly, Krebs, through CISA, falsely and baselessly denied that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen, including by inappropriately and categorically dismissing widespread election malfeasance and serious vulnerabilities with voting machines. Krebs skewed the bona fide debate about COVID-19 by attempting to discredit widely shared views that ran contrary to CISA’s favored perspective.
This section details specific accusations against Christopher Krebs, alleging that he used his position at CISA to censor opposing viewpoints concerning the 2020 election and COVID-19, and that he improperly influenced social media companies to do likewise. The allegations include accusations of partisan bias and suppression of information surrounding the Hunter Biden laptop controversy.
Abusive conduct of this sort both violates the First Amendment and erodes trust in Government, thus undermining the strength of our democracy itself. Those who engage in or support such conduct must not have continued access to our Nation’s secrets. Accordingly, I hereby direct the heads of executive department and agencies (agencies) to immediately take steps consistent with existing law to revoke any active security clearance held by Christopher Krebs.
This section connects the alleged actions to violations of the First Amendment and to damage to public trust.
It directly orders the immediate revocation of Krebs' security clearance, citing the need to prevent those engaging in such conduct from having access to classified information.
I further direct the Attorney General, the Director of National Intelligence, and all other relevant agencies to immediately take all action as necessary and consistent with existing law to suspend any active security clearances held by individuals at entities associated with Krebs, including SentinelOne, pending a review of whether such clearances are consistent with the national interest.
This section expands the order to include the suspension of security clearances for individuals at organizations connected to Krebs, such as SentinelOne, pending a review of their suitability for continued clearance.
I further direct the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with any other agency head, to take all appropriate action to review Krebs’ activities as a Government employee, including his leadership of CISA. This review should identify any instances where Krebs’ conduct appears to have been contrary to suitability standards for Federal employees, involved the unauthorized dissemination of classified information, or contrary to the purposes and policies identified in Executive Order 14149 of January 20, 2025 (Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship). As part of that review, I direct a comprehensive evaluation of all of CISA’s activities over the last 6 years, focusing specifically on any instances where CISA’s conduct appears to have been contrary to the purposes and policies identified in Executive Order 14149. Upon completing these reviews, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security shall prepare a joint report to be submitted to the President, through the Counsel to the President, with recommendations for appropriate remedial or preventative actions to be taken to fulfill the purposes and policies of Executive Order 14149.
The memorandum orders a comprehensive review of Krebs's actions as a government employee, including his management of CISA, to identify violations of suitability standards, unauthorized release of classified information, and conflicts with Executive Order 14149.
This review also extends to past actions of CISA over a significant period.
A final report and policy recommendations will be provided for consideration to prevent future occurrences.
This memorandum is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
This is a standard legal disclaimer limiting the legal enforceability of the memorandum's contents.
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