Sen. Elissa Slotkin presses Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on keeping military away from polling places
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin has formally requested commitments from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine to keep federal troops away from polling places during the November 2026 midterm elections. The request follows concerns from Democrats regarding potential military interference by the Trump administration. While White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has denied such plans, Slotkin highlighted past actions, including Trump's 2020 contemplation of seizing voting machines and his 2025 deployment of Marines to Los Angeles.
Slotkin letter to Hegseth
▪On August 18, 2026, Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to confirm he will not send U.S. troops to polling places during the November 2026 midterm elections.
▪Senator Elissa Slotkin wrote to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine on August 18, 2026, requesting confirmation that the Department of Defense will not send federal troops to polls or seize election materials.
▪The Pentagon stated on August 18, 2026, that it will respond directly to Senator Elissa Slotkin's correspondence, while the Joint Chiefs of Staff did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Troops at polling places
▪Senator Elissa Slotkin stated that President Donald Trump is laying the groundwork to claim the November 2026 midterm elections were stolen.
▪White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles denied in a 2025 Vanity Fair interview that President Donald Trump would use the military to suppress voting in the midterm elections.
▪During an April 2026 congressional hearing, Senator Elissa Slotkin asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if he would follow orders to seize ballots, which Hegseth called a "gotcha hypothetical" while stating he would not follow illegal orders.
Trump military deployment history
▪President Donald Trump deployed active-duty Marines to Los Angeles during an immigration crackdown in 2025.
▪President Donald Trump contemplated using the military to seize voting machines after his 2020 election loss and has previously deployed the National Guard to cities against the wishes of Democratic leaders.
Federal election law restrictions
▪Federal law prohibits the deployment of armed federal forces to election locations unless necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.
▪If any military element were to get involved in the midterm elections, it would likely be the National Guard under state control.
Milley apolitical military principle
▪In 2020, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley responded to a letter from then-Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, stating his belief in an apolitical U.S. military.
▪General Mark Milley wrote in 2020 that, by law, U.S. courts and the U.S. Congress are required to resolve election disputes, not the U.S. military.
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