(Adnkronos) – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the armed forces to protect the midterm elections from foreign interference. The Pentagon stated in a note that the US Cyber Command, the cyberwarfare unit, and other units will “deploy advanced intelligence and cyber capabilities” to “identify, block, and neutralize foreign influence in US democratic processes.”
Hegseth has ordered the military to work with the Department of Homeland Security to counter foreign cyber threats against electoral infrastructure in the US. Much of the guidance contained in the memo refers to activities that US military and intelligence agencies have already carried out in the past to protect the conduct of elections. A few weeks before the 2024 presidential elections, for example, Cyber Command conducted a secret operation to block Russian trolls who were spreading false information among the American electorate, according to past revelations by CNN.
However, the second Trump administration has reduced or completely dismantled several agencies, including within the FBI and the Office of the National Intelligence, which were tasked with countering foreign electoral interference operations. This has raised concerns in recent months, especially after last April, General Joshua Rudd, head of Cyber Command, told Congress he did not know if a specialized team with military and intelligence officials had been created to protect the midterm elections from foreign interference.
