The head of the Pentagon ordered the use of military intelligence and cyber command to protect the US elections in 2026

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has ordered the use of all US military intelligence and cyber command forces to counter external threats and protect elections in 2026, according to a published memorandum.

"I am directing the entire Defense Intelligence Community to mobilize all authorized resources, capabilities, and partnerships under your command to protect our election infrastructure from foreign malign influence and ensure that every lawful voter can cast their ballot without foreign intimidation, coercion, or fear," the document reads.

Hegseth directed U.S. Cyber ​​Command and the directors of supporting intelligence agencies to prioritize preventing attempts by foreign actors to influence U.S. institutions.

In addition, intelligence enterprises are ordered to intensify the collection and analysis of data on threats to election infrastructure, and cyber command is ordered to act in close coordination with the US Department of Homeland Security, it follows from the document.

In mid-July, US President Donald Trump addressed the Americans in which he stated that in 2020 China allegedly did everything possible to interfere with his re-election, and US intelligence officials deliberately hid this information from the White House. He also alleged that U.S. officials lied to citizens for years about election security while knowing that voting machines and vote-counting systems were critically vulnerable.