Sean Plankey Withdraws Trump CISA Nomination, Leaving Nick Andersen Acting Director

Sean Plankey, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), asked to withdraw from consideration after his nomination stalled in the Senate for more than a year, leaving the agency without a permanent director.

“Sean Plankey, the long-sidelined nominee to lead the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, asked President Donald Trump on Wednesday to withdraw his nomination”

CyberScoop

Multiple outlets reported that Plankey informed the White House on Wednesday that “After thirteen months since my initial nomination, it has become clear the Senate will not confirm me,” language that appeared in a letter viewed or obtained by The New York Times and first reported by Politico.

CyberScoop

TechCrunch said Plankey requested the Trump administration withdraw his nomination, citing a “holdup in the Senate” because the Senate is required to hold a vote to approve his appointment.

The Hill reported that an aide with the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs said the committee was aware Plankey requested withdrawal but had not yet received official paperwork from the White House.

Politico and The New York Times published or viewed the letter, while TechCrunch said a White House spokesperson did not immediately comment on whether the administration accepted Plankey’s request or who would be nominated next.

The Record from Recorded Future News similarly said Plankey withdrew from consideration after his nomination stalled for more than a year, and it described CISA as being run by Acting Director Nick Andersen.

Nextgov/FCW reported Plankey confirmed the withdrawal to the outlet and repeated the same “After thirteen months” line in a statement sent to the White House.

In the wake of the withdrawal, CISA leadership remained in acting hands, with Nick Andersen serving as acting director after Madhu Gottumukkala’s February departure.

The withdrawal came after a nomination process marked by holds and delays tied to issues that multiple reports said were unrelated to cybersecurity.

TechCrunch said Plankey was unlikely to reach a majority vote needed for his appointment because Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) was blocking his nomination over a Coast Guard contract unrelated to cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity Dive

The Hill described the same dynamic, saying Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) stalled Plankey’s nomination for more than a year over a Coast Guard shipbuilding contract, and it added that Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) also previously held back on the nomination over concerns about disaster recovery funds.

Cybersecurity Dive said the holds “had little to do with Plankey himself,” pointing to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) objecting to CISA’s refusal to release an unclassified report on security vulnerabilities in the telecommunications sector, while Sen. Rick Scott opposed the Coast Guard reducing a contract with a shipbuilder in his state.

Federal News Network similarly said the most recent hold was placed by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) “reportedly over Plankey’s role as a senior advisor within the Coast Guard.”

Politico reported that the GOP Senate majority was unable to achieve the unanimity needed to advance his nomination, largely due to resistance from Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) “over a contested Coast Guard shipbuilding project.”

Multiple outlets also tied the nomination’s timeline to Plankey’s Coast Guard advisory role, with TechCrunch saying Plankey previously served as a senior adviser to Coast Guard leadership and The Hill saying he served as an adviser to then-Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristen Noem on the Coast Guard until last month.

Nextgov/FCW reported that Plankey left the Coast Guard last month to show Scott he was no longer involved in those contracts, while CyberScoop said Plankey retired from the Coast Guard last month and called Nick Andersen “one of the most competent cybersecurity people in the country.”

As Plankey’s nomination failed to move forward, CISA continued operating under acting leadership, with Nick Andersen described as the acting director after Madhu Gottumukkala’s departure in February.

“Plankey asked to be withdrawn, saying "it has become clear" the Senate won't confirm him after 13 months since his initial nomination to be CISA director”

Federal News Network

TechCrunch said Nick Andersen has been the acting director since the departure of Madhu Gottumukkala in February, and it added that Gottumukkala was appointed in May 2025 to oversee the agency on a temporary basis but left less than a year later after a “tumultuous tenure.”

The Hill said Bridget Bean served as acting director before Madhu Gottumukkala, who became the department’s “director of strategic implementation,” and it described Andersen as now acting director of CISA.

The Record from Recorded Future News said CISA is currently being run by Acting Director Nick Andersen and that it is unclear who the Trump administration will nominate to lead the agency going forward.

Nextgov/FCW reported that Andersen had been leading the agency in an acting capacity after its previous acting leader, Madhu Gottumukkala, left in February amid a series of leadership incidents during his tenure.

Federal News Network said CISA has been without a permanent leader since the start of the second Trump administration and described a partial government shutdown since Feb. 14, with about 60% of the agency’s staff furloughed until Mullin recalled DHS employees to work earlier this month.

Federal News Network also said the shutdown delayed CISA’s plans to fill 300 “mission-critical” vacancies and forced the cyber agency to cancel CyberCorps summer internships.

TechCrunch described the agency’s challenging year as including at least three government shutdowns, several rounds of furloughs, and budget cuts and staff reductions as directed by the White House, and it said earlier this month the Trump administration requested to slash CISA’s budget by more than $700 million.

Cybersecurity Dive added that CISA’s deputy director, Nick Andersen, is serving as acting director and that the agency has been left without a permanent leader as it struggled through personnel cuts and mission downsizing.

The withdrawal triggered immediate reactions from members of Congress who framed the leadership uncertainty as a risk to CISA’s ability to respond to threats.

Nextgov/FCW quoted Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the lead Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, saying, “This is an important position and I sincerely hope it has permanent leadership soon,” and he added that “If there is any hope that we can rebuild CISA after it has been decimated by the Trump administration, a qualified professional must be nominated and confirmed swiftly.”

mezha.net

Thompson also said, “Our nation faces real threats from retaliation by Iran and to our critical infrastructure,” and he emphasized “a crucial need for CISA to help secure our federal elections this year.”

Nextgov/FCW also quoted Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y., the panel’s chairman, saying, “I am sad to hear that he has withdrawn,” and Garbarino added, “I’ve continued to say that CISA needs a Senate-confirmed director to steer the ship.”

The Hill similarly reported that neither the White House nor CISA immediately responded to requests for comment, while it described the Senate committee aide’s status update about missing paperwork.

The Record from Recorded Future News included a statement from Rep. Andrew Garbarino saying he was “sad to hear that [Plankey] has withdrawn,” and it quoted him saying, “We are at a pivotal time as America faces heightened cyber threats, and I’ve continued to say that CISA needs a Senate-confirmed Director to steer the ship.”

Federal News Network described acting director Nick Andersen telling a House hearing that CISA is “more limited than I would like” in its ability to counter cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure amid the war in Iran, and it quoted Andersen saying, “A lot of those preparatory activities within the environment, a lot of the outreach that we would typically be able to do, that’s simply not possible or legally allowed during the period of a shutdown.”

Cybersecurity Dive added that CISA was left without a permanent leader as it struggled through personnel cuts and mission downsizing.

With Plankey’s withdrawal, the immediate question across the reports is who the Trump administration will nominate next to lead CISA, and whether the Senate will confirm that person.

“It’s not clear who Trump will tap to lead the cyberdefense agency following Plankey's withdrawal”

Nextgov/FCW

TechCrunch said a White House spokesperson did not immediately comment on whether the administration accepted Plankey’s request to withdraw his nomination, nor say who the Trump administration plans to nominate as the agency’s permanent director.

Nextgov/FCW

The Hill reported that an aide with the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs said the committee was aware of Plankey’s request but had not yet received official withdrawal paperwork from the White House.

The Record from Recorded Future News said it is unclear who the Trump administration will nominate to lead the agency going forward, and it described CISA as having been hobbled after losing about 30% of its workforce to widespread layoffs and experiencing furloughs due to the recent government shutdown.

Nextgov/FCW said it’s not clear who Trump will tap to lead the cyberdefense agency following Plankey's withdrawal, and it quoted Bennie Thompson and Andrew Garbarino calling for swift nomination and confirmation.

Cybersecurity Dive said Plankey hinted in his letter that Trump planned to announce a replacement nominee soon, and it described the withdrawal as “the latest blow to the struggling agency.”

CyberScoop reported that Plankey’s request comes weeks after the Senate confirmed MarkWayne Mullin to lead the Department of Homeland Security, CISA’s parent agency, and it said Plankey told CyberScoop he had discussed withdrawing his nomination with Mullin.

Federal News Network added that CISA has been operating under a partial government shutdown since Feb. 14 and that the shutdown delayed filling 300 “mission-critical” vacancies and forced the agency to cancel CyberCorps summer internships, underscoring the operational backlog that could persist while leadership remains acting.

TechCrunch also said earlier this month the Trump administration requested to slash CISA’s budget by more than $700 million amid claims of “censorship” tied to countering election misinformation during the 2020 presidential election, which Trump lost.