Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) warned that the U.S. military must remain politically neutral and should never be used to interfere in elections or serve the interests of a single political party.
Slotkin Warns Against Military Election Interference
On Wednesday, in a post on X, Slotkin raised concerns about the potential use of the military in domestic political affairs.
"The uniformed military shouldn’t be deployed to interfere in our elections. Period," Slotkin said, arguing that the military’s nonpartisan tradition is essential to protecting democratic institutions.
She also pointed to legal and constitutional guardrails intended to keep the military out of domestic political and law-enforcement activities.
"The nonpartisan tradition of military service and the constitutional guardrails that prevent our military from becoming a domestic police force for one political party are essential to maintaining our democracy," Slotkin said.
The senator described the nation’s top defense and security officials as "the final failsafe for our democracy."
Slotkin cited a constitutional scholar who questioned what would happen if a president attempted to establish himself as a dictator.
"If a president is truly determined to make himself a dictator," the scholar said.
The scholar added, "the question at the end of the day is whether the military and other force-deploying agencies of the Federal government are willing to go along."
The uniformed military shouldn't be deployed to interfere in our elections. Period.
— Sen. Elissa Slotkin (@SenatorSlotkin) August 19, 2026
The nonpartisan tradition of military service and the constitutional guardrails that prevent our military from becoming a domestic police force for one political party are essential to…
Slotkin Sought Election Pledge
Slotkin asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine to confirm that federal troops would not be sent to polling places or used to seize election materials during the November midterms, reported CBS News.
She said Democrats were concerned the Trump administration could use the military to interfere with voting.
GOP, Voting Rights and Military Funding
Earlier this month, the Republican National Committee (RNC) Chair Joe Gruters predicted Republicans would retain the House and Senate despite Democrats holding a 6- to 8-point polling advantage.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris warned that voting rights faced growing challenges and urged Americans to register and vote.
Last month, President Donald Trump called for passage of the SAVE America Act and increased defense spending, including $350 billion under Reconciliation 3.0.
The White House had also sought $87.6 billion in additional funding, including $21 billion for the Defense Department.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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