Hegseth orders cyber, intelligence agencies to prioritize election defense
The directive mobilizes cyber and intelligence teams to counter cyberattacks and influence operations as election officials warn of recurring foreign threats.
- On Monday, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth issued a memorandum directing U.S. Cyber Command and the Defense Intelligence Enterprise to mobilize assets defending 2026 election infrastructure from foreign interference.
- The order ties to President Trump's 2025 mandate on election integrity, aiming to ensure foreign actors do not "meddle in our democratic systems" amid long-standing concerns about interference.
- Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated the department will coordinate with federal and local partners to protect voting systems, clarifying the guidance targets foreign threats rather than domestic political activity.
- Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., questioned Hegseth about potential troop deployment at polling places, which Hegseth dismissed as a "gotcha hypothetical," vowing he would not follow an illegal order.
- With the November midterms deciding control of Congress, implementation of this directive will be closely monitored by election officials and civil liberties groups to ensure compliance with legal regulations.
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Directive calls on US Cyber Command and Pentagon's combat support agencies to prioritize intelligence and cyber capabilities, statement says
The Pentagon will use intelligence, cyber and artificial intelligence capabilities to counter foreign interference in the US elections. The measures were ordered by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ahead of the November 3, 2026 midterm elections. According to Axios, Hegseth signed a memorandum on September 22nd that directs US Cyber Command and the Pentagon’s intelligence community to detect, deter and neutralize foreign actors’ actions against th…
The head of the U.S. Pentagon, Pete Hegsett, has commissioned intelligence and cybernetic opportunities to counter foreign interference in the upcoming elections, as reported by Axios, following an unpublished service note dated 22 September.
US military cyber teams drafted to guard November midterm elections
Pete Hegseth has ordered the NSA and military cyber forces to help secure the November midterm elections. The move has revived questions over election safeguards after cuts to the civilian cybersecurity agency.
Santa Maria Times
The U.S. National Security Agency and other military intelligence and cybersecurity forces will protect electoral systems during the mid-term elections in November, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday.
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