A newly declassified U.S. intelligence memo is raising fresh questions about how much federal officials knew regarding vulnerabilities in the 2020 election system — and whether those concerns were downplayed after the election concluded.
The document, released by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and first reported by Just the News shows that U.S. intelligence agencies warned as early as January 2020 that foreign adversaries possessed the capability to compromise elements of America’s election infrastructure.
The memo, prepared by the National Intelligence Council and dated Jan. 15, 2020, specifically identified voter registration databases, poll books, and election-related websites as especially vulnerable to cyber intrusions by foreign governments including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
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“We judge that U.S. adversaries, including, at a minimum, Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, as well as non-state groups, have the capability to compromise U.S. election infrastructure for the 2020 presidential election,” the intelligence assessment stated.
BREAKING 🚨: TULSI GABBARD RELEASES MEMOS ALLEGING CIA COVER-UP@jsolomonReports says newly released memos from Tulsi Gabbard show intelligence officials “tried to doctor President Trump’s intelligence briefings” to keep concerns about foreign election interference involving… pic.twitter.com/ZSwekeMPHC
— Just the News (@JustTheNews) May 7, 2026
The report further warned that adversaries gaining access to election systems could “disrupt the voting process, steal sensitive data, or undermine confidence in the election results.”
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According to the report, intelligence officials personally briefed then-President Donald Trump at the White House in February 2020 regarding the concerns. Photographs obtained by the outlet reportedly show senior CIA, FBI, and Homeland Security officials participating in the briefing.
The newly released memo has reignited debate over how federal agencies characterized the security of the 2020 election after it concluded. In the weeks following the election, officials including former Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency director Chris Krebs publicly described the election as “the most secure in American history.”
But the declassified intelligence assessment paints a more complicated picture.
The memo acknowledged that while widespread manipulation of vote totals would be difficult, election systems remained vulnerable to significant disruptions and public confidence could still be undermined through cyber intrusions and data breaches.
The document specifically highlighted voter registration databases as an area of concern because many states housed those systems on internet-connected networks that required constant access and updates.
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“Adversaries could alter data to potentially prevent individual voters or groups of voters from voting, causing delays on election day or forcing voters to use provisional ballots,” the memo warned.
The report also stated that voting machines lacking paper backups were “particularly vulnerable” if foreign actors obtained physical access to them.
Former National Intelligence Officer for Cyber Christopher Porter, who helped prepare the assessment, told Just the News that intelligence officials were aware of serious vulnerabilities but later resisted publicly releasing information because of concerns about the political implications during the election year.
“What is shocking is how uncontroversial some of these findings are to professionals,” Porter said. “It is no secret that China and Iran compromise election equipment for a variety of intelligence purposes.”
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Porter further alleged that intelligence leaders suppressed information related to Chinese interference concerns because they feared it could politically benefit Trump during the 2020 campaign.
The report states that evidence later emerged showing Chinese actors had gained access to voter registration data in multiple states. Officials also reportedly identified incidents involving fake driver’s licenses sent to the United States in what investigators believed was an attempt to influence the election in favor of then-candidate Joe Biden.
At the same time, the intelligence assessment concluded there was no evidence that foreign actors successfully altered certified vote totals on a scale sufficient to change the outcome of the election.
The memo’s release comes as the Trump administration and congressional Republicans continue broader investigations into election security, foreign interference, and intelligence community conduct surrounding the 2020 election.
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