What Happened
Defense Secretary Orders Action Against Foreign Interference
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has instructed the Pentagon to prioritize and deploy advanced intelligence and cyber capabilities to protect the 2026 midterm elections from foreign actors. The effort aims to maintain the fundamental freedoms that characterize the US, with the Defense Intelligence Enterprise executing collection and production on foreign threats to US elections. The Pentagon will work in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security to counter potential cyber threats. This move follows similar efforts in 2022 to safeguard the midterms from foreign interference, as reported by Nexstar Media Inc.