Brief
Defense Secretary Hegseth Announces NSA and Military Cyber Forces Will Protect U.S. Election Systems
The announcement follows the Trump administration’s dismantling of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and comes weeks before Election Day.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Monday that the U.S. National Security Agency and other military intelligence and cybersecurity units would guard election systems during the November midterms. The statement was made at a Pentagon briefing on September 28, 2026, and was reported by the Associated Press via the Winnipeg Free Press.
Hegseth’s memo, dated September 22, directed defense intelligence officials to mobilise “every resource” to defend election infrastructure from foreign malign influence and to ensure that every lawful voter could cast a ballot free from intimidation or coercion. The announcement follows President Donald Trump’s earlier decision to dismantle the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the civilian body created to protect election infrastructure. The agency had released an election infrastructure security plan last week outlining potential threats and services for election officials.
Military cybersecurity experts have routinely monitored election systems since 2017, when election equipment was classified as critical infrastructure. Hegseth’s statement comes just weeks before Election Day on November 3, with early voting already underway in several states, including Virginia, which began early in‑person voting on September 18.
David Becker, a former U.S. Justice Department attorney who leads the nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research, said the short timeline suggested the announcement was “just theater.” He added that if the administration were serious about assisting state and local officials, it should not have dismantled federal election cybersecurity capacity and fired experts in early 2025.
Many elections experts, civil rights groups and Democratic officials remain wary of potential meddling by the Trump administration, which has continued to push false claims of widespread fraud while attempting to interfere with established voting procedures. The U.S. Supreme Court has blocked a Trump attempt to restrict mail voting but has allowed the use of a federal database to check voter citizenship.
Key facts
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the NSA and other military cyber units will guard election systems during the November midterms (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Hegseth directed defense intelligence officials to mobilise every resource to defend election infrastructure from foreign influence (winnipegfreepress.com)
- The announcement follows the Trump administration’s dismantling of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (winnipegfreepress.com)
- Virginia began early in‑person voting for the 2026 midterms on September 18 (winnipegfreepress.com)
Background
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency was created to safeguard election infrastructure but was gutted by the Trump administration in early 2025. Military cybersecurity assistance has been routine since 2017 when election equipment was designated critical infrastructure.
Why it matters
The announcement signals a shift in federal election security strategy amid concerns over election integrity and potential foreign interference.
What happens next
The NSA and military cyber units will mobilise resources ahead of Election Day on November 3, 2026.
Sources
- [1] winnipegfreepress.com — originally reported as “Hegseth says national security, military cyber forces will guard US election systems during midterms”
