‘Hot mess:’ Former Trump cyber leader blasts DHS leadership vacuum
WASHINGTON, DC: Bridget Bean, former acting head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), warned on Monday, February 2, that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is being hamstrung by the absence of Senate-confirmed leadership.
In an exclusive interview with POLITICO, Bean said the leadership vacuum has created what she previously described as a "hot mess" in a private Signal group chat with fellow Trump political appointees. While career officials continue to do their jobs, she argued, the lack of permanent leadership makes it impossible to execute the president’s priorities.
Leadership void hampers agency mission
Bean emphasized that having Senate-confirmed officials is "very different" from relying on leaders serving in an acting capacity. She noted that without permanent heads at agencies like CISA and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), it is significantly harder to communicate a "consistent vision" to DHS headquarters.
“My comments about DHS as ‘a hot mess’ is if you don’t have permanent leadership... you’re not working,” Bean said. She added that career officials need to know their leaders "have their back" to effectively understand and address the "threats of tomorrow."
As of today, at least 25 senior DHS positions are either vacant or filled by acting officials. Bean said the absence of confirmed component heads creates a gap in the disconnect between individual agencies' goals and the broader vision of the White House.
Nomination struggles stall permanent appointments
The leadership crisis at CISA has been compounded by the stalled nomination of Sean Plankey. Trump first selected Plankey, a former National Security Council official, in March 2025, but the nomination failed to reach a floor vote before the end of the year.
Although Trump renominated Plankey in January, the bid remains stalled. Multiple GOP senators have placed holds on the nomination for a range of issues, including disaster relief funding for North Carolina and a canceled Coast Guard contract in Florida.
The prolonged vacancy comes as CISA grapples with significant workforce losses. Roughly one-third of the agency’s 3,000 employees were either laid off or resigned last year. While Bean declined to comment directly on the cuts but noted that "a lot of really smart people" have recently left the agency.
Security incidents plague acting leadership
The acting tenure of Madhu Gottumukkala, who took over for Bean in May, has faced significant scrutiny. Reports emerged in December that Gottumukkala failed a polygraph test, and more recently, he was accused of uploading sensitive contracting files to a public version of ChatGPT.
The ChatGPT incident triggered automated security warnings and led to an internal review by senior DHS officials. Bean noted that acting leaders find it difficult to "push" staff to be better when their own standing within the organization is seen as temporary or compromised.
Bean, who now serves as the president of consulting firm Via Stella and a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, argued that the department’s current state is a direct result of these unfilled roles. "Getting people on board is really, really, really, really critical," she said.
Cyber pillars vs. immigration focus
Asked whether the department's heavy focus on immigration under Secretary Kristi Noem has sidelined cybersecurity, Bean defended the Secretary’s approach. She noted that Noem’s priorities align with the president’s "America First" doctrine.
“I know she knows [cyber] is important,” Bean said, adding that Noem views cybersecurity as a vital pillar of the nation’s homeland security. However, Bean reiterated that the mission cannot be fully realized without the permanent leaders required to lead these specialized components.
DHS and CISA spokespeople have not yet responded to requests for comment regarding Bean’s characterization of the department’s current leadership status as a "hot mess."
