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Trump’s pick to run US cyber agency CISA asks to drop out

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Sean Plankey, twice selected by Trump to lead the U.S. federal cybersecurity agency CISA, has requested to withdraw from his nomination. This move leaves CISA without a clear long-term leader. The focus keyword “Trump’s pick to run CISA” is used naturally here and highlights the latest development in U.S. cybersecurity.

Reasons for the withdrawal of the candidate for CISA director

Sean Plankey sent a letter to the White House requesting to withdraw from the nomination he had received from Donald Trump due to delays in the Senate. Although he had been nominated to lead Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency more than a year earlier, it became clear that the Senate would not confirm him. The New York Times published a copy of his letter, making it clear that the main obstacle was a block by Rick Scott related to a Coast Guard contract—an issue unrelated to cybersecurity.

Politico also reported that Plankey was unlikely to secure the majority needed for confirmation. He previously served as a senior advisor to leadership within the United States Coast Guard. This development, however, leaves the agency without a permanent leader in the middle of a challenging year for CISA.

Acting leadership and current situation at CISA

After the departure of Madhu Gottumukkala in February, Nick Andersen has taken over as the acting head of CISA. Gottumukkala had been appointed in May 2025 but served for less than a year due to a turbulent period during his leadership. As a result, CISA has experienced continuous leadership turnover, creating uncertainty around its critical security responsibilities.

CISA is mandated by Congress to protect critical infrastructure systems and strengthen federal cybersecurity. In addition, this year the agency has faced extraordinary challenges due to budget cuts, government shutdown risks, and workforce reductions. Amid these difficulties, CISA is also dealing with increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks from foreign actors, as reported by TechCrunch, raising the risk for U.S. infrastructure.

Impact of Trump’s pick to run CISA and budget policy

Trump has nominated Sean Plankey twice to lead CISA, but his appointment has been blocked. Recently, the Trump administration also proposed more than $700 million in budget cuts to CISA, framing the agency as being involved in “censorship” due to its efforts against election-related misinformation in 2020. These cuts have affected core agency operations and raised concerns among cybersecurity experts in the U.S. and abroad.

Meanwhile, the White House has not yet commented on whether it will accept Plankey’s request to withdraw or who will be nominated as the next permanent director of CISA.

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