Secretary of War Pete Hegseth signs directive to defend 2026 elections from foreign threats

Framing the move as aligned with President Donald J. Trump’s commitment to election integrity, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has signed a memorandum tasking the Department of War with mobilizing a comprehensive, government-wide defense of U.S. election infrastructure against foreign adversaries.

The directive instructs U.S. Cyber Command and Combat Support Agencies to prioritize and deploy advanced intelligence and cyber capabilities to identify, disrupt, and neutralize attempts by foreign actors to interfere in U.S. democratic processes.

“Free and fair elections are the foundation of our republic,” said Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell. “By working in lockstep with federal, state, and local partners, U.S. Cyber Command and our defense intelligence teams will defend the integrity of America’s voting systems, expose foreign malign influence, and ensure our democratic processes remain secure from external manipulation while protecting the fundamental freedoms of the American people.”

“U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency are closely partnered to identify and defend against cyber threats to our nation. The Command and the Agency regularly counter actions by malicious foreign cyber actors including those with the intent to interfere with our democratic process,” said Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, commander, U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency/chief, CSS.

The department said it will employ its capabilities to safeguard the reliability of America’s voting mechanisms from external manipulation and disruption by foreign actors while preserving the fundamental freedoms that define the country.