What Happened
Defense Secretary Directs Intelligence Agencies to Counter Foreign Threats
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed U.S. Cyber Command and military intelligence agencies to prioritize countering foreign threats to the upcoming elections. The directive, released publicly on Monday, instructs the defense intelligence enterprise to gather and analyze information on foreign election threats and directs Cyber Command to use its existing authorities and capabilities to counter potential cyberattacks. This move comes amid a broader retreat from dedicated federal efforts to track foreign influence and disinformation, as reported by Nextgov/FCW.