Senator Elissa Slotkin has asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to confirm that federal troops will not be deployed to polling places or to seize election materials during the upcoming midterm elections, citing concerns about potential interference.
The inquiry highlights ongoing concerns among some lawmakers about potential political interference in the electoral process by the executive branch, particularly regarding the use of military resources.
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin has formally requested Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine to confirm that the U.S. military will not be deployed to polling places or to seize election materials during the upcoming November midterm elections. Slotkin expressed concerns that President Trump might attempt to claim the elections were stolen, citing his past contemplation of using the military to seize voting machines and deployments of the National Guard.
The Pentagon stated it would respond directly to Slotkin's congressional correspondence. Federal law generally prohibits the deployment of armed federal forces to election locations unless necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States; any such involvement would likely involve the National Guard under state control.
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles previously denied in a Vanity Fair interview that Trump would use the military to suppress voting, calling such suggestions "categorically false."
In 2020, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley responded to a similar inquiry from Slotkin, then a congresswoman, affirming his deep belief in an apolitical U.S. military and stating that election disputes are resolved by U.S. courts and Congress, not the military.
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