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Trump’s two-time pick to lead the US federal cybersecurity agency CISA has asked to step down from the role, leaving the agency without a clear person to lead it indefinitely.
In a letter to the White House on Wednesday, Sean Plankey asked the Trump administration to withdraw his nomination, referring to the suspension in the Senate, which must vote to approve his nomination.
Plankey said it is “known” that the Senate will not confirm him, for more than a year after being elected for the first time leading CISA.
The New York Times published Plankey’s letter on Thursday. Politics First he said that Plankey had decided to leave his appointment. Both publications said that Plankey would not be able to get the majority of votes needed to elect Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) is blocking his nomination on a Coast Guard contract related to cybersecurity. Plankey previously served as a senior advisor to Coast Guard leadership.
Nick Andersen has been the head of CISA since Madhu Gottumukkala left in February. Gottumukkala was appointed in May 2025 to oversee the agency on an interim basis but resigned less than a year later. noisy time in the office.
CISA is tasked with Congress with cybersecurity and infrastructure security in the federal government. The organization has done it I had a difficult yearfollowing at least three government shutdowns, several trips, and budget cuts and staff cuts as the White House has said, though the number of cyberattacks look the US government and its allies in the last year.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration made the request cut the CISA budget by more than $700 million amid claims that the agency was conducting an “investigation” — referring to CISA’s efforts to combat disinformation in the 2020 election, which Trump lost.
A White House spokeswoman did not comment on whether the administration would accept Plankey’s request to withdraw his nomination, or say who the director Trump wants to appoint as the agency’s permanent director.
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