Fact Check: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Claims of 2024 Polling Place Troop Deployments Found False

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing scrutiny following two separate testimonies before Congress this week. On Wednesday and Thursday, Hegseth claimed that during the 2024 presidential election, the Biden administration deployed troops to polling locations in 15 states.

"In 2024 – Joe Biden – troops deployed to polling locations in 15 states. Explain that one to me," Hegseth challenged during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. He repeated the assertion the following day before the Senate.

The Facts Behind the Activation

A comprehensive review of state National Guard records and official statements confirms that Hegseth’s claim is not true. While National Guard personnel were activated in several states during the 2024 election, these activations were ordered by state governors—not the President—and none involved deployment to polling stations.

Responses from 12 of the 15 states identified as having activated Guard members tell a consistent story of behind-the-scenes support:

- Cybersecurity: In states like Iowa, Delaware, and New Mexico, Guard members worked remotely or from secure "basements" to monitor election networks for cyber intrusions.

- Liaisons: In Pennsylvania and Texas, a small number of personnel served as liaisons to emergency management agencies to ensure interagency communication.

- Standby Status: In Arizona and Washington, troops were placed on standby at state installations but were never requested or deployed.

Setting the Record Straight

The confusion appears to stem from a conflation of roles. Senior National Guard Bureau official Ellis Hopkins clarified at the time that support was strictly focused on "general support or supporting cyber networks," specifically noting that no troops were in "civil response mode."

Furthermore, Oregon officials pointed out a glaring error in the claim’s logic: Oregon is a 100% vote-by-mail state and has no traditional polling places for troops to be deployed to.

While troops did assist at some voting sites in 2020 during the Trump administration, those deployments were intended to fill gaps left by poll workers sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 2024 cycle under Biden, no such presence was recorded.

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