Military Has No Plans to Send Troops to Polls

Gen. Dan Caine wrote to Sen. Elissa Slotkin that the military will not deploy troops to polling places or touch election materials during the November 2026 midterms.

• Caine said he has not received, nor expects, any unlawful election-related order.
• Federal law bars armed federal forces at polls except to repel foreign enemies.
• Hegseth called a similar Senate question in April a 'gotcha hypothetical.'
• 2020: then-Chairman Gen. Mark Milley gave Slotkin a nearly identical assurance.

Why it matters: Democrats' concern has grown after Trump deployed federal agents to Democratic-led states against local leaders' objections and sent active-duty Marines to Los Angeles in 2025.

• Slotkin has said Trump contemplated seizing voting machines after his 2020 loss.
• White House chief of staff Susie Wiles denied in a Vanity Fair interview that Trump would use the military to suppress midterm voting.

How 19 sources split on this story

Where they split: Whether Caine's letter resolves the concern depends on whether Hegseth — who commands the military — provides his own assurance.

What’s next: Hegseth has not responded to Slotkin's request, which had a Thursday deadline.

• The Pentagon said it would reply to Slotkin directly but had not done so as of Monday.
• Will Hegseth provide a direct written commitment matching Caine's letter?
• Would a state-controlled National Guard deployment — not covered by Caine's pledge — be legally permissible near polling places?