Hegseth Mobilizes NSA, Military Cyber Forces to Protect 2026 Midterm Elections/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the NSA, U.S. Cyber Command and military intelligence agencies to help protect election systems during the Nov. 3 midterms. The directive focuses on identifying and disrupting foreign cyber threats and does not authorize troops at polling places or the seizure of election equipment. Critics questioned the timing after the Trump administration weakened the civilian election-security agency responsible for assisting state and local officials.
Quick Look
- Hegseth signed the election-security memorandum on Sept. 22.
- The Pentagon publicly announced the initiative Monday.
- The NSA and U.S. Cyber Command will participate.
- Defense intelligence agencies will collect information on foreign threats.
- The operation will use advanced cyber and artificial-intelligence capabilities.
- Military teams will coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security.
- The directive targets foreign interference, not domestic election administration.
- It does not authorize troops at polling locations.
- It does not direct the military to seize ballots or voting machines.
- State and local governments remain responsible for running elections.
- Election equipment has been designated critical infrastructure since 2017.
- Early voting was already underway when the plan was announced.
- Critics say cuts to CISA weakened civilian election-security resources.
- The Nov. 3 elections will determine control of Congress.
Deep Look
Hegseth Mobilizes Military Cyber Forces
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the National Security Agency, U.S. Cyber Command and other military intelligence organizations to help protect American election systems during the November midterms.
The Sept. 22 memorandum directs the Defense Department to use advanced intelligence and cybersecurity tools to detect, disrupt and neutralize attempts by foreign governments or their proxies to interfere in the election.
Hegseth ordered defense agencies to mobilize available resources “to defend our election infrastructure from foreign malign influence and ensure that every lawful voter can cast their ballot free from foreign intimidation, coercion, or fear.” AP News
The Pentagon publicly announced the directive Monday, only weeks before Election Day and after early voting had already begun in several states.
Pentagon Directive Includes Three Main Elements
The memorandum establishes three principal missions for the military’s intelligence and cyber organizations.
First, Hegseth ordered U.S. Cyber Command and the directors of military combat-support agencies to prioritize their “intelligence and cyber capabilities to ensure foreign actors do not meddle in our democratic systems.”
Second, the Defense Intelligence Enterprise must collect and analyze information “on foreign threats to our elections, in accordance with the law, regulation, Executive direction.”
Third, U.S. Cyber Command will work with the Department of Homeland Security to counter “potential cyber threats from foreign actors targeting our elections.” axios.com
Artificial Intelligence Will Support Operation
Officials said the operation would use the Pentagon’s most advanced artificial-intelligence capabilities to detect potential foreign activity.
AI could help analysts identify suspicious network behavior, disinformation campaigns, coordinated cyber operations and attempts to penetrate election-related computer systems.
Cyber defense, network security and artificial intelligence have become central Defense Department missions, reducing the need to establish specialized temporary teams for every election.
“This is what CYBERCOM does every day,” one official said. “Defending the country against foreign cyber actors is an enduring mission.” axios.com
Military Election-Security Assistance Is Not New
The NSA and U.S. Cyber Command have supported federal election-security operations for several election cycles.
The federal government’s role expanded after the Department of Homeland Security designated election systems as critical infrastructure in 2017.
A similar initiative before the 2022 midterms directed the NSA and Cyber Command to “disrupt, deter, and degrade foreign adversaries’ ability to interfere with and influence how U.S. citizens vote and how those votes are counted.” axios.com
Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Ruddthe administration’s choice to lead both the NSA and Cyber Command, previously described election protection as a fundamental responsibility.
Rudd said the agencies “regularly counter actions by malicious foreign cyber actors, including those with the intent to interfere with our democratic process.”
State and Local Officials Still Run Elections
The Pentagon’s cyber operation does not place the military in charge of voting or ballot counting.
Elections in the United States are administered primarily by state and local governments, which oversee voter registration, polling locations, voting machines, ballots and tabulation.
Military cyber teams are expected to monitor foreign threats and provide technical or intelligence support rather than participate directly in election administration.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said federal, state and local officials were working “in lockstep” with U.S. Cyber Command and defense intelligence organizations. axios.com
No Troops Planned for Polling Locations
The directive does not order National Guard members or other military personnel to polling places.
It also does not authorize the seizure of ballots, voting machines or election records.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin in August that the military had no plans to deploy federal forces or National Guard personnel at voting sites.
“I have neither received nor anticipate receiving any unlawful order concerning the role of the Joint Force in the upcoming November 2026 midterm elections,” Caine wrote. Reuters
Federal law generally restricts the use of armed forces at polling places and preserves civilian control of election administration.
Trump’s Statements Raised Democratic Concerns
Democratic officials sought assurances from military leaders after President Donald Trump declined to categorically rule out using federal forces around elections.
Asked in May whether he might deploy National Guard personnel or immigration agents to voting locations, Trump said he would “do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections.” Reuters
Trump has continued to claim that U.S. elections are affected by widespread frauddespite the lack of evidence supporting those allegations.
Civil-rights organizations, election specialists and Democratic officials are monitoring the administration for signs of federal interference with voting or ballot counting.
The Supreme Court blocked Trump’s attempt to restrict mail voting but allowed the government to use a federal database to verify voters’ citizenship. AP News
Critics Point to Cuts at Civilian Cyber Agency
Hegseth’s announcement came after the Trump administration sharply reduced the capabilities of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
CISA is the Department of Homeland Security division specifically responsible for helping protect election infrastructure and other critical systems.
The administration reduced staffing and resources at the agency, while Trump proposed cutting its election-security budget.
CISA nevertheless released an election-infrastructure plan last week identifying potential threats and outlining services available to state and local election officials.
David Becker, a former Justice Department attorney who leads the Center for Election Innovation & Researchsaid announcing the military effort after early voting began “suggests this is just theater.”
“If the administration was serious about assisting state and local election officials, they shouldn’t have dismantled all of the federal government’s election cybersecurity capacity and fired all their experts in early 2025,” Becker said. AP News
Pentagon Plan Focuses on Foreign Actors
The Defense Department says its mission is limited to foreign interference and malicious cyberactivity.
The memorandum does not name specific countries, but Russia, China and Iran have previously been accused of seeking to influence American elections or public opinion.
The directive was partly developed following Trump’s accusation that China interfered in the 2020 election, a claim Beijing has denied.
Military intelligence agencies will collect information about potential overseas threats while remaining subject to federal law and restrictions on intelligence activity involving Americans.
Trump Administration Also Investigates Past Elections
The new cybersecurity initiative comes as other federal agencies expand investigations involving previous elections.
In January, the FBI seized voting machines used during the 2020 election from Fulton County, Georgiaa heavily Democratic jurisdiction in a state Trump lost.
The Justice Department has also asked 30 state election offices to preserve records connected with the 2024 election as part of litigation examining election materials.
Hegseth’s memorandum does not direct the military to assist those domestic investigations or seize election equipment. axios.com
Security Plan Arrives at Politically Sensitive Moment
The Nov. 3 midterms will determine control of the House and Senate as Republicans attempt to preserve their congressional majorities.
Cybersecurity assistance from the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command is routine, but the announcement’s timing and the administration’s broader actions have intensified scrutiny.
The operation’s effectiveness will depend on coordination among military agencies, CISA and thousands of state and local election offices.
The central challenge will be protecting election networks from foreign attacks without allowing military or federal authorities to interfere in the civilian administration of voting.
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