A September 22 memo orders the Defense Intelligence Enterprise and joint operations with the Department of Homeland Security to prioritize stopping overseas actors from influencing upcoming votes. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed these units, including U.S. Cyber Command, to employ intelligence and cyber capabilities to neutralize threats. The directive specifically mandates the use of AI tools that are more advanced than those deployed during the 2024 election cycle.

The operation mirrors similar efforts carried out ahead of the 2022 midterms under the Biden administration and was described as "fundamental" by Cyber Command and NSA nominee Lt. Gen. Joshua Rudd. While the memo explicitly excludes military deployment to polling places or the seizure of voting machines, President Donald Trump has not ruled out deploying personnel to polls, a position that has drawn concern from Democrats.