# Hegseth Ordered the Pentagon's Whole Intelligence Apparatus to Treat Foreign Election Meddling as a 'No-Fail Mission,' Fox Reports

The September directive goes beyond Cyber Command and the NSA. The Pentagon will not say how it is being carried out, and U.S. officials say they have seen no foreign attempt to touch voting machines or vote counts.

- Section: [Politics](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/politics/)
- Published: 2026-11-02
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/hegseth-orders-pentagon-intelligence-no-fail-mission-foreign-midterm-meddling-cyber-command-nsa-fox-news/

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has told the military's intelligence and cyber agencies to make protecting Tuesday's midterms from foreign interference a "no-fail mission," Fox News reports.

The order. The directive is dated September and covers more than Cyber Command and the National Security Agency. It also goes to the Defense Intelligence Agency and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, and tells the whole Defense Intelligence Enterprise to "mobilize every authorized asset, capability, and partnership" against foreign election threats.

What it does and does not do. Fox says the order has military intelligence collect and analyze foreign threats, and has Cyber Command use its existing authorities, working with the Department of Homeland Security, to counter foreign cyber activity. It does not publicly create new powers or a new election-security organization. The military's role stops largely at the border. States and localities run elections, and the FBI and DHS handle the domestic side.

Not a new mission. Cyber Command and the NSA have worked on this since the 2018 midterms, when they formed a "Russia Small Group," later a joint Election Security Group. Fox notes that Gen. Paul Nakasone called election security an "enduring, no-fail mission" in 2022, the same language Hegseth used. Current Cyber Command and NSA chief Gen. Joshua Rudd told lawmakers in April that interference was "reasonable to expect" and that his command was "postured and ready." He said he was unsure whether the Election Security Group had been reconvened.

What is unclear. The Department of War declined to give Fox details on how the order is being carried out, and Cyber Command declined an interview. The Pentagon has not said whether it led to more people, money or organizational changes.

What officials see. Fox says U.S. intelligence officials report no evidence that a foreign adversary has tried to interfere with voting machines, election infrastructure or vote counting. Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said nothing contradicts that, but urged Americans to stay on "high alert" for foreign disinformation, especially as AI makes it easier. Fox cites CNN in reporting that Russia remains the most active foreign influence threat, with China and Iran also tracked.

## Source

Original reporting: [Fox News](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pentagons-top-spies-tasked-no-fail-mission-hegseth-puts-foreign-midterm-meddling-crosshairs)