Hegseth orders cyber, intelligence agencies to prioritize election defense

Hegseth memo lays out Pentagon plan to protect elections from foreign interference

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo Monday laying out what he said is the Defense Department's plan to protect the 2026 midterm elections from "external manipulation and disruption from foreign actors."

Hegseth Directs Pentagon Cyber Forces to Counter Foreign Election Interference

WASHINGTON D.C (VINnews) — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has signed a memorandum directing the Pentagon to put U.S. Cyber Command, combat support agencies and the Defense Intelligence Enterprise on a higher footing against foreign attempts to interfere in the 2026 midterm elections, the department said Monday. Join our WhatsApp group Subscribe to our Daily […]

Pentagon Ordered to Fight Foreign Election Meddling

War Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the military's cyber and intelligence agencies to prioritize defending the November midterm elections against foreign interference, according to a Sept. 22 memo, Axios reported.

Hegseth orders cyber, intelligence agencies to prioritize election defense

The directive comes as the administration has dismantled or reorganized offices that tracked foreign influence and reduced civilian election security support.

Pentagon To Use AI To Spot Foreign Election Meddling

Axios reports: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has assigned personnel to use “advanced intelligence and cyber capabilities to identify, disrupt, and neutralize foreign interference” in the upcoming elections, Axios has learned. The threat of foreign election interference has been a biennial U.S. concern for the past decade.