US Military sources and government documents obtained by Ken Klippenstein show Pete Hegseth’s Department of War is interfering in U.S. midterm elections.
Task Force Raider (a secret military task force in San Antonio under Cyber Command, part of an interagency “election security group”) prioritizes countering foreign efforts to shape minds and opinions, not merely hacking voting systems. Sources say Americans are seen as potential “vectors” for foreign influence, and “foreign malign influence” can cover online speech.
The operation reportedly include PSYOPS, persona operations (fake online identities), millions of anonymous text/voice messages abroad, deleting social media posts, and taking down websites.
Sources claim the military is regulating social media content and legitimate debate, not only blocking foreign actors.
Concern is raised about cyber/intel involvement violating traditions and laws keeping the military out of domestic elections. Officers worry about a slippery slope toward greater control of speech and assembly.
Operations are highly classified and cyber-focused. Military sources express discomfort with the scope, the idea of “influencing the influencers,” and the gap between public assurances of no troops at polls and the cyber reality.