Overview
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum dated Sept. 22 that was released publicly on Sept. 28 ordering U.S. Cyber Command and the Defense Intelligence Enterprise to prioritize countering foreign threats to the 2026 midterms.
- The memo instructs Cyber Command to operate under its existing authorities and tells defense intelligence agencies to collect and produce information on foreign election threats for use with federal, state, and local partners.
- Pentagon officials said the effort will deploy advanced cyber tools and artificial intelligence to identify, disrupt, and neutralize foreign influence and cyber operations but will not direct National Guard deployments or the seizure of voting machines.
- The directive does not name specific adversaries, provide new funding or staff, or clarify whether the prior Election Security Group structure will be reconstituted, leaving key execution and oversight questions unanswered.
- Election officials and security experts warned the short timetable before Nov. 3 and recent cuts at civilian agencies such as CISA and changes at the FBI and ODNI may limit how much the Pentagon can accomplish before votes are cast.