Overview
- A Sept. 22 memorandum signed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth directs the Department of Defense to prioritize advanced intelligence, cyber and AI capabilities to identify, disrupt and neutralize foreign attempts to interfere in U.S. elections.
- The order assigns work to U.S. Cyber Command and the Defense Intelligence Enterprise and calls for joint operations with the Department of Homeland Security to counter potential cyber threats to voting systems.
- Pentagon officials and Gen. Joshua Rudd say the effort targets foreign actors, does not authorize deploying troops to polling places, and must operate in accordance with law and executive direction.
- Officials have not released the full memo, named specific foreign targets, or described operational tactics, prompting oversight questions from Congress, state election officials and civil liberties groups.
- The directive builds on past federal election‑security work that treats elections as critical infrastructure and could increase DoD reliance on AI and cyber tools while leaving state officials to manage on-the-ground voting logistics.