Story perspectives

Pentagon Memo Orders Cyber and Intelligence to Protect 2026 Midterms

By Drooid · Sep 29, 2026, 4:40 PM UTC · How we work

Center

Military Voter Registration

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo directing cyber and intelligence assets to protect the 2026 midterm elections from foreign interference.
The memo also launched a campaign urging service members and families to register and vote.
Gen. Joshua Rudd of U.S. Cyber Command will coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security.
The Defense Intelligence Enterprise will collect intelligence on foreign election threats as required by law.

Left

Cyber Tools Against Interference

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a Pentagon memo directing cyber and intelligence assets to protect the 2026 U.S. midterm elections from foreign interference.
The memo follows Trump-era cuts to election-security teams, prompting doubts about its effectiveness and timing.
U.S. Cyber Command was ordered to use intelligence and cyber tools against foreign interference.
Former Cyber Command employee Andrew Schoka warned launch limits planning and counter measures before midterms.

Blindspot

The memo follows Trump-era cuts to election-security teams and the dismantling of FBI and ODNI centers that defended elections, which the left-leaning source says undermine the effort’s effectiveness.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Center-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

After Russian intelligence probed election systems in all 50 states in 2016, the Senate Intelligence Committee warned the United States remained vulnerable. In response, DHS designated election infrastructure as critical in January 2017 and Congress allocated $380 million for state cybersecurity upgrades. Those reforms now shape current federal plans to protect the 2026 midterm elections.

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Military Voter Registration

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a memo directing cyber and intelligence assets to protect the 2026 midterm elections from foreign interference.
The memo also launched a campaign urging service members and families to register and vote.
Gen. Joshua Rudd of U.S. Cyber Command will coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security.
The Defense Intelligence Enterprise will collect intelligence on foreign election threats as required by law.

1 / 4