ELECTION SECURITY UPDATE

The administration is gearing up to brief lawmakers on election security as the country wades deeper into the 2020 primaries.

Both the House and Senate will be briefed, separately, on March 10, according to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and a Senate aide.

The briefings will come a week after Super Tuesday, when primary voters in more than a dozen states will head to the polls. On March 10, voters in six more states will cast ballots.

The announcement of the briefings come as President Trump’s shake-up of top intelligence community positions has sparked fierce criticism from Democrats and some national security professionals, and after reports that intelligence leaders have told lawmakers that Russia is again seeking to aid Trump’s campaign efforts.

“American voters should decide American elections — not Vladimir Putin. All Members of Congress should condemn the President’s reported efforts to dismiss threats to the integrity of our democracy & to politicize our intel community,” Pelosi said in a tweet on Thursday.

Trump announced earlier this week that he was tapping U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell to be the next acting director of national intelligence. Grenell will be Trump’s second acting Director of National Intelligence since Dan Coats stepped down last year. Joseph Maguire has served in the role since August but is required by law to leave the position by March 12.

Grenell was immediately panned by top Democrats including Sen. Mark Warner (Va.), the vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.