The Pentagon chief has ordered the military to protect the U.S. midterm elections from foreign interference

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has signed a memorandum directing the Department of War to mobilize a comprehensive, whole-of-government defense of our election infrastructure from foreign adversaries. The document has been published on the defense agency’s website.

Under the Secretary’s directive, U.S. Cyber Command and Combat Support Agencies will prioritize and deploy advanced intelligence and cyber capabilities to identify, disrupt, and neutralize foreign interference in U.S. democratic processes.

The Department will effectively wield its capabilities to protect and uphold the reliability of America’s voting mechanisms against external manipulation and disruption from foreign actors.

US congressional elections are scheduled for November 3, taking place midway through the incumbent president’s term. Voters will elect all 435 members of the House of Representatives and approximately one-third of the 100 senators. Republicans currently control both chambers of Congress; however, the Financial Times (FT) has reported that these elections will be challenging for them.

According to a poll by Focaldata, registered voters are more likely to say they intend to vote for Democrats (44% versus 39% for Republicans). Although the president’s name will not appear on the ballot in November, midterm elections are typically viewed as a referendum on his performance. Data from the FT indicates that an increasing number of citizens express dissatisfaction with the policies of the White House incumbent.