Senator presses Hegseth, Caine for commitment to keep US military out of the midterm elections
Slotkin wants a written pledge that the Pentagon will not deploy federal troops to polling places or handle election materials, citing midterm concerns.
- On Tuesday, Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, requesting confirmation that the Department of Defense will not deploy federal troops to polling places or seize election materials during November's midterms.
- Slotkin cited concerns that the Trump administration could use the military to interfere, pointing to the 2025 deployment of active-duty Marines to Los Angeles and Trump's 2020 contemplation of seizing voting machines.
- Federal law prohibits deploying armed federal forces to election locations; Secretary Hegseth previously dismissed similar inquiries as a "gotcha hypothetical," stating in April, "I've never been ordered to do anything illegal, and I won't."
- The Pentagon stated in an email that it will respond directly to the senator, while the Joint Chiefs of Staff did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the formal assurances request.
- Claiming Trump is "laying the breadcrumbs" to contest results, Slotkin referenced a 2020 letter from Gen. Mark Milley, who affirmed belief "in the principle of an apolitical U.S. military" and stated courts, not the military, resolve election disputes.
34 Articles
34 Articles
Slotkin asks Hegseth, Caine to confirm troops won’t be sent to polling places
Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin sent letters on Monday to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and General Dan Caine, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, requesting confirmation that the military will not be deployed to polling locations during the upcoming midterm elections, The Hill reported. Slotkin, who serves on the Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees, is seeking a guarantee that the Department of…
Sen. Slotkin urges defense leaders to bar troops from 2026 midterm polling sites
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) sent letters Tuesday to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, calling on them to publicly confirm that the U.S. military will play no role in the upcoming November elections.
Senator presses Hegseth, Caine for commitment
WASHINGTON — Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Tuesday to confirm he won’t send U.S. troops to polling places during November’s midterm elections, as Democrats have raised concerns that the Trump administration could use the military…
Slotkin Asks Hegseth to Confirm He Won’t Send Troops to Polls
‘Laying the Breadcrumbs’ Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and to Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on Tuesday, asking both Defense Department officials to confirm that the Pentagon will not send troops to polling places during the upcoming midterms.
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