据Axios报道，国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯已指派相关人员利用“先进的情报和网络技术”，来识别、阻止并消除外国势力在即将举行的选举中的干扰行为。
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has assigned personnel to use "advanced intelligence and cyber capabilities to identify, disrupt, and neutralize foreign interference" in the upcoming elections, Axios has learned.
为何此事至关重要：过去十年间，外国势力干预美国选举的问题一直备受关注。官员们表示，此次行动将运用迄今为止最先进的人工智能技术来应对这种威胁。
Why it matters: The threat of foreign election interference has been a biennial U.S. concern for the past decade. This effort will use the most advanced artificial intelligence capabilities to date, officials said.
- 赫格塞斯的命令并未要求军事人员直接参与选举投票过程，但特朗普总统并未排除这种可能性，这引发了民主党人士及政府批评者的担忧。
• Hegseth's order does not direct military personnel to the polls, but President Trump has refused to rule out that possibility, heightening concern from Democrats and administration critics. Zoom in:
详细内容：根据赫格塞斯于9月22日签署的一份备忘录（该备忘录此前尚未公开），他承诺将坚决打击任何形式的外国干预行为，并维护民主自由。该备忘录包含以下三项主要指令：
Under a memo Hegseth authorized on Sept. 22 that has not been reported previously, the secretary pledged to fight foreign interference and uphold democratic freedoms. The memo has three related directives:
- 优先利用国防部的情报和网络技术，确保外国势力无法干扰美国的民主体系（这些技术由美国网络司令部及相关作战支援机构负责管理）。
• Prioritize his department's "intelligence and cyber capabilities to ensure foreign actors do not meddle in our democratic systems" under U.S. Cyber Command and the Directors of the Combat Support Agencies.
- 依法、依相关规定，利用国防情报机构收集有关外国选举威胁的信息。
• Use the Defense Intelligence Enterprise to collect and produce information "on foreign threats to our elections, in accordance with the law, regulation, Executive direction."
- 通过美国网络司令部与国土安全部的联合行动，应对针对美国选举的潜在网络威胁。
• Counter "potential cyber threats from foreign actors targeting our elections" through joint operations between U.S. Cyber Command and the Department of Homeland Security. Catch up quick:
背景信息：这一指令的制定基于特朗普2025年发布的《维护美国选举公正性》命令，同时也回应了特朗普在7月份指责中国干预2020年大选的言论（中国对此予以否认）。
The directive relies on Trump's 2025 order titled " Preserving And Protecting The Integrity Of American Elections " and was also drafted in response to his July speech accusing China interfering in the 2020 election, which China denied
此前，在特朗普的前任乔·拜登执政期间（2022年中期选举前夕），也曾有过类似举措：当时拜登指示美国网络司令部与国家安全局采取行动，以阻止外国势力干扰美国公民的投票行为及投票结果的统计过程。
• This memo from Hegseth follows a similar effort before the 2022 midterms under Trump's predecessor, Joe Biden, that directed U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency to "disrupt, deter, and degrade foreign adversaries' ability to interfere with and influence how U.S. citizens vote and how those votes are counted."
自2017年以来，联邦政府在防范来自外国政府的选举威胁方面发挥了更加重要的作用；同年，美国国土安全部（DHS）将选举系统列为“关键基础设施”。
The federal government has played an increased role in detecting election threats from foreign governments since 2017, when elections were designated critical infrastructure by DHS.
- 特朗普任命的国家安全局（NSA）及美国网络司令部负责人约书亚·M·拉德（Joshua M. Rudd）中将在确认任命听证会上表示，相关防范工作至关重要，他将继续致力于“保护”美国的民主制度。
• Trump's pick to lead the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command, Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, told senators during his confirmation hearing that such work was "fundamental" and that he'd continue to "safeguard" American democracy.
- 然而，在中期选举前夕，特朗普政府却削减了相关预算：他提议削减负责选举安全的国土安全部下属机构CISA的预算，并推迟了其他关键职位的人选任命。
• But Trump's own government cuts have slashed these efforts ahead of the midterms. He proposed cutting the election security budget for the main DHS component responsible, CISA, and staffing at other key posts was delayed.
- 同时，大量资源被用于调查以往选举中的舞弊行为以及选民登记信息；部分国土安全部工作人员也被调派从事这些工作。
• Meanwhile, significant resources have been put into finding instances of voter fraud in past elections and on the voter rolls, with portions of DHS's staff assigned to that. Flashback:
回顾：据《华盛顿邮报》报道，2020年特朗普竞选失利后，他的支持者曾建议他利用国防部（DOD）和国家安全局的“未处理原始数据”来调查选举舞弊行为；但相关官员否认收到过此类请求。
After Trump's loss in 2020, Trump allies shared a asking the president to use DOD's and NSA's "unprocessed raw signals data" to try to investigate election fraud, according to the Washington Post • The officials named in the memo and asked to act on it denied seeing it at the time.
- 特朗普曾询问是否可以下令国民警卫队没收投票设备；今年早些时候，他还向《纽约时报》表示对此感到后悔。
• Trump inquired about ordering the National Guard to seize voting machines at the time and, earlier this year, expressed regret to the New York Times that he didn't do so.
六年后……特朗普仍继续利用联邦官员来寻找选举舞弊的证据：
Six years later, Trump already has used federal officials to seek election fraud evidence.
- 1月份，联邦调查局（FBI）没收了位于佐治亚州富尔顿县（该县在当年选举中明显偏向民主党）的投票设备。
• In January, the FBI seized voter machines used in the 2020 election from Fulton County, Ga., a heavily Democratic-leaning county in a state he lost that year.
- 司法部已正式要求30个州的选举机构保留与2024年选举相关的记录，以配合正在进行的法律诉讼。
• The Justice Department has formally asked 30 state election offices to hold on to records connected to the 2024 election as part of ongoing litigation to review election materials.
- 赫格塞斯（Hegseth）发布的这份最新备忘录并未指示国民警卫队或任何军事人员采取任何行动来没收投票设备。
• This latest memo from Hegseth doesn't direct the National Guard or any military personnel to seize voting machines. Between the lines:
网络能力、人工智能和网络防御如今已成为国防部的核心任务。官员表示，2024年情况并非如此，当时技术尚显新颖，部门需要专门团队执行选举安全等任务。
Cyber capabilities, AI and network defense are now core missions of the Defense Department. That wasn't the case in 2024, when the technology was newer and the department needed specialized teams for missions like election security, officials said.
- “这就是网络司令部的日常工作，”一位官员表示。“抵御外国网络行为体的攻击是一项持久使命。”
• "This is what CYBERCOM does every day," an official said. "Defending the country against foreign cyber actors is an enduring mission."
- 美国网络司令部和国家安全局“定期遏制恶意外国网络行为体的行动，包括那些意图干预我国民主进程的行为体，”拉德说。
• U.S. Cyber Command and the NSA "regularly counter actions by malicious foreign cyber actors, including those with the intent to interfere with our democratic process," Rudd said.
他们怎么说：五角大楼首席发言人肖恩·帕内尔表示，联邦、州和地方官员正与美国网络司令部及国防情报团队“紧密协作”，以阻止外国干涉和攻击。
What they're saying: Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said federal, state and local officials are working "in lockstep" with U.S. Cyber Command and defense intelligence teams to halt foreign interference and attacks.