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President Donald J. Trump Is Working to Protect Our Nation’s Elections from Foreign Interference

Law & Justice

Issued on:

PROTECTING OUR ELECTIONS: President Donald J. Trump is issuing an Executive Order that will work to respond to and deter foreign attempts to interfere in our elections.

  • President Trump’s Executive Order “Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States Election” shows his commitment to protecting our elections.
  • President Trump is directing the Administration to develop a process, in coordination with State and local officials, for assessing and determining if interference in a United States election occurred.
  • The Executive Order authorizes action against those determined to have interfered in a United States election, including through:
    • Sanctions against those determined to have participated in foreign interference in our elections.
    • Additional measures that would have wide-ranging impact on foreign governments, entities, and individuals who interfere in our elections.
  • President Trump’s Executive Order mandates interagency reporting of potential foreign interference following each Federal election.
  • This Executive Order builds on the Administration’s robust efforts to expose, disrupt, and impose costs on those responsible for election interference.

WORKING ACROSS ALL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT: The Trump Administration is working across all levels of government to help protect America’s elections from foreign interference.

  • The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working with State and local election officials and the private sector to coordinate a response to attempts at election interference.
  • DHS and election officials across 50 States and 1,100 local jurisdictions formed the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center to share security information.
  • The Office of Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is providing DHS with actionable intelligence so State and local officials can strengthen election security.
  • These efforts build on the Administration’s support to States during past elections and the ongoing 2018 elections.
    • During 2017, the Administration provided on-site cybersecurity support to States.
    • A pilot program was launched to help officials at all levels of government share information and rapidly respond to security issues.

STRENGTHENING ELECTION SECURITY EFFORTS: The President and his Administration are working vigilantly to improve and strengthen the security of our elections.

  • President Trump recently held meetings with the National Security Council in May and July 2018 discussing the Administration’s whole-of-government approach to election security.
  • In August 2018, DHS hosted the first-ever National Election Cybersecurity Table Top Exercise, focused on improving information sharing and the integration of election security efforts.
  • The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are working to investigate and disrupt threats to our election systems and alert potential victims and targets.
  • DOJ and FBI will host a live Election Day Watch at the FBI’s Strategic Information and Operations Center to monitor and coordinate election-related activities.