Pete Hegseth Orders U.S. Military to Protect Elections from Foreign Interference

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has signed a memorandum ordering the U.S. military to protect congressional elections from foreign interference. The document was issued approximately five weeks before President Donald Trump’s midterm elections, which are considered decisive for the administration’s agenda.

U.S. Cyber Command and agencies supporting combat operations will use cyber and intelligence capabilities to identify, disrupt and neutralize foreign threats to democratic processes. The memorandum also provides for cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security to defend election infrastructure.

The measures largely revive practices used before Trump’s return to the White House, including operations against Russian disinformation networks. Meanwhile, the administration has reduced or dismantled several structures within the FBI and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence responsible for combating foreign influence.

The decision comes amid concerns about the authorities’ preparedness for the elections and warnings regarding efforts by Russia and China to influence U.S. elections. Since 2020, the United States has created a special election security task force for each national election.