Hegseth memo orders Pentagon to counter foreign threats to 2026 midterms

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Sept. 22 memo, made public Sept. 28, directs the Defense Intelligence Enterprise to collect and produce on foreign threats to U.S. elections and orders U.S. Cyber Command to prioritize intelligence and cyber capabilities so foreign actors do not meddle in democratic systems. The one-page memo instructs commander Gen. Joshua M. Rudd to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security on potential cyber threats. Hegseth wrote that free and fair elections are a steadfast principal of democracy, a no-fail mission, and that the aim is to defend election infrastructure from foreign malign influence so every lawful voter can cast a ballot free from foreign intimidation, coercion, or fear. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Cyber Command and defense intelligence will work with federal, state, and local partners to defend voting systems and expose foreign malign influence. David Becker, who leads the Center for Election Innovation & Research, said the short timeline with early voting underway "suggests this is just theater" and that a serious effort would not have dismantled federal election cybersecurity capacity and fired experts in early 2025. Gen. Rudd said Cyber Command and the NSA regularly counter malicious foreign cyber actors intent on interfering with the democratic process. CISA released an election infrastructure security plan the prior week. On Friday the Supreme Court lifted restrictions on the SAVE voter database; Democratic senators on Monday pressed DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin over any use of ICE or CBP at polling places.