Washington, D.C. — A new analysis from the Center for American Progress (CAP) examines how the far right’s Project 2025 authoritarian playbook is targeting U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), a key component in the U.S. military's efforts to combat election-related cyberthreats from foreign adversaries.
The lengthy manifesto, created by the right-wing Heritage Foundation, serves as a guide for a future far-right administration with proposals that could potentially dismantle the nearly 250-year-old system of checks and balances foundational to American democracy.
One of the significant proposals in Project 2025 involves banning CYBERCOM from participating in federal efforts to fortify elections, mischaracterizing its work as "partisan." Critics argue that this move could empower foreign actors to influence U.S. elections and allow extremist ideologies to gain more traction as foreign adversaries seek to divide Americans.
The New York Times and other outlets have reported on how foreign governments such as Russia and China are using generative AI to manipulate public opinion online. CAP’s analysis underscores that CYBERCOM’s role, which includes offensive cyber operations, remains vital in protecting the integrity of U.S. elections from such foreign interference. Authorized by Congress, CYBERCOM has capabilities to take down foreign infrastructure and counteract adversaries' cyber operations.
“Elections are a matter of national security and their outcome belongs in the hands of the American people alone,” said Greta Bedekovics, associate director of Democracy Policy at CAP. “An attack on American democracy is an attack on all Americans — Democrats, Republicans, or independents. America’s military cannot adequately defend the nation, support allies, and thwart adversaries if it is prevented from defending the bedrock of American democracy: elections.”
Read the report: “The Far Right’s Invitation for Foreign Interference in U.S. Elections” by Greta Bedekovics
For more information or to speak with an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected].
