Smart Devices: Trojan Horses in Our Homes?

Modern kitchen with black cabinets and stainless appliances

With foreign adversaries targeting America’s homes through “smart” appliances, a new Senate bill aims to halt Communist China’s reach into our electric grid before it’s too late.

Story Snapshot

Sen. Rick Scott introduces the PROTECT the Grid Act to investigate and restrict foreign—especially Chinese—control of internet-connected home appliances.
The legislation seeks to codify Trump-era national security protections previously revoked under Biden.
High-wattage devices like EV chargers and smart ovens are in the crosshairs due to espionage and sabotage risks.
The Department of Commerce would be empowered to ban or restrict technology from hostile foreign entities.

Senator Scott’s Bill Targets Threats Lurking in American Homes

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has taken decisive action in August 2025 with the introduction of the PROTECT the Grid Act, a direct response to growing fears that foreign adversaries—chiefly the Chinese Communist Party—are using high-wattage, internet-connected appliances as backdoors into America’s critical infrastructure. The legislation mandates a comprehensive Department of Commerce investigation into the extent of foreign influence and directs immediate scrutiny toward products such as smart ovens, EV chargers, and laundry machines, which are increasingly found in American households and power grids.

The timing is significant: under President Trump’s return to office, renewed attention is being paid to the national security gaps left by the previous administration. The bill is designed to restore and codify protections first enacted under Trump’s Executive Order 13873, which targeted foreign technology in the communications and power sectors but was rolled back under Biden. Now, Scott’s bill not only revives those restrictions but aims to make them permanent law, empowering the Secretary of Commerce to ban or regulate suspect technology linked to hostile actors.

Chinese Control: A Direct Threat to the Electric Grid

Heightened concern over Chinese-made smart devices is not new, but recent developments have made the threat impossible to ignore. Penetration of these devices in U.S. homes and businesses has soared, while documented vulnerabilities and “backdoors” in IoT (Internet of Things) appliances have given adversaries potential levers to disrupt or sabotage American infrastructure. Security experts and lawmakers warn that, in the event of a crisis, these networked devices could be remotely switched off or manipulated, risking widespread power outages or worse. The Coalition for a Prosperous America—an economic nationalist group—has endorsed Scott’s bill, citing the urgency to secure America’s grid and homes from foreign interference.

Scott’s legislation is motivated by more than hypothetical dangers. Past incidents, including the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack and ongoing reports of Chinese espionage, have exposed how vulnerable the nation’s interconnected systems are. The bill’s demand for a formal risk assessment and a Department of Commerce report within 270 days reflects a sense of urgency, aiming to move beyond rhetoric to concrete action. This is a welcome shift for many conservative Americans who saw the previous administration’s globalist approach as dangerously lax on real threats to national security and sovereignty.

Restoring National Security and American Sovereignty

The PROTECT the Grid Act arrives at a pivotal moment: President Trump and congressional conservatives are determined to reverse years of globalist and “woke” mismanagement by restoring constitutional principles and national self-reliance. The bill’s focus on high-wattage, internet-connected appliances is no accident—these devices represent a new frontier in asymmetric warfare, where hostile foreign governments aim to exploit the openness of the American market and the connectivity of American technology to gain unprecedented leverage. The legislation’s bipartisan support signals a growing consensus that vigilance, not complacency, is needed to defend the homeland.

Some industry groups and privacy advocates voice concerns about overreach or unintended consequences, noting the challenge of balancing innovation with security. Still, the dominant view among national security experts is that the risk of inaction far outweighs the costs. The bill’s champions argue that only by asserting control over the supply chains and technological standards of critical infrastructure can the U.S. safeguard its economy, its people, and its constitutional freedoms—especially in an era of heightened cyber conflict and geopolitical rivalry.

👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🌟🌟🌟‼️‼️‼️Sen. Rick Scott Introduces PROTECT the Grid Act to Investigate Foreign Control of Smart Appliances https://t.co/KwuPKWzLfP via @BreitbartNews

— CHRISTIAN CONSERVATIVE FIGHTERS FOR FREEDOM !!! (@timlatimer365) August 9, 2025

As the Senate considers Scott’s bill, the message is clear: the days of letting foreign adversaries dictate the terms of America’s security—and erode the values that built this nation—are over. The PROTECT the Grid Act is a crucial step in reclaiming American sovereignty and restoring the power of the people and their elected leaders to defend the homeland. The next few months will reveal whether lawmakers have the resolve to follow through and ensure that American families, not foreign governments, control the switches in their own homes.