General Dan Caine Denies Military Role in 2026 Midterms

General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, informed Senator Elissa Slotkin that the U.S. military will not deploy federal personnel or federalized National Guard members to polling places during the November 2026 midterm elections. In a letter to the senator, Caine stated that the Joint Force has no plans to seize ballots, voting machines, or other election-related materials.

Caine's confirmation follows concerns from Democrats that the Donald Trump administration might interfere with the voting process, specifically citing previous suggestions by the president to nationalize elections. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has denied that the administration would use the military to suppress voting.

While the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff provided these assurances, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not yet responded to Senator Slotkin's inquiry, missing a requested deadline of August 28.