Concerns about military involvement in the upcoming midterm elections have prompted Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin to seek assurances from top defense officials. Slotkin has raised questions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding the potential deployment of U.S. troops at polling places, a fear among Democrats that the Trump administration might interfere with the voting process.
In a letter addressed to both Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Slotkin urged a clear commitment: “I’d ask you to confirm a simple statement: the Department of Defense will not send Federal troops to the polls or to seize election materials of any kind.”
While the Pentagon has indicated it will reply directly to Slotkin, the Joint Chiefs have not made any immediate comments on the matter. Slotkin has expressed concerns over former President Trump’s alleged intentions to declare the elections fraudulent, citing past actions, such as his 2020 contemplation of using military forces to seize voting machines and deploying the National Guard to cities without local approval.
Slotkin noted, “He’s very clearly laying the breadcrumbs to be able to say the day after the election that he didn’t really lose the House or he didn’t really lose the Senate.” These comments reflect ongoing worries about potential military involvement in electoral processes.
During a congressional hearing in April, Slotkin questioned Hegseth on whether he would comply with orders to seize ballots. Hegseth responded by stating, “I’ve never been ordered to do anything illegal, and I won’t,” dismissing the query as a “gotcha hypothetical.”
White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has also weighed in, denying any intention from Trump to suppress voting through military means. In a Vanity Fair interview, she stated, “I say it is categorically false, will not happen. It’s just wrongheaded.”
Federal law restricts the use of armed federal forces at election sites unless they are “necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.” If military involvement were necessitated, it would likely involve the National Guard under state jurisdiction.
In a related incident from 2020, Gen. Mark Milley, the then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, affirmed the military’s non-involvement in electoral disputes, remarking, “I believe deeply in the principle of an apolitical U.S. military.” He further emphasized that legal disputes over elections should be settled by U.S. courts and Congress, not the military.
—
Read More Michigan News
