Political speech, timestamped and in context

Elissa Slotkin: “Today we got a similar letter, not from the Secretary of Defense, but from one of his assistant secretaries…”

Featuring: Elissa Slotkin, Democratic | U.S. Senate, Michigan

BREAKING: DOD Responds to Slotkin on Election Interference; Hegseth Silence Continues

Published October 1, 2026

I do not anticipate, and any touching of voting machines or ballots is illegal for the military. Today we got a similar letter, not from the Secretary of Defense, but from one of his assistant secretaries, essentially saying the same thing. I take that as a positive sign. I appreciate that they are willing to put that on the record. Still have no idea what Trump is going to do. (03:11–03:20)

STATEMENT

Asserts receipt of a letter from an assistant secretary of defense confirming no military involvement in elections.

This is an excerpt from a raw transcript. The assertions have not been audited or verified. Tap the video to view the source footage and understand the context.

See the main statements from Elissa Slotkin in this video

“Any touching of voting machines or ballots is illegal for the military.”
Asserts that military interference with voting machines or ballots is illegal.03:06-03:12
“The president has been very clear. He's using all the tools at his disposal to try and affect the outcome of the November elections.”
Asserts that President Trump is using all available tools to influence the November elections.00:48-00:53
“In cases, many cases, it's illegal to [use federal law enforcement or the military in elections].”
Asserts that using federal law enforcement or the military in elections is often illegal.01:52-01:55
“I wrote a letter to the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Attorney General.”
Asserts that Elissa Slotkin wrote a letter to top defense and security officials.02:19-02:26
“I did get a letter back from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, which I appreciated, saying I have not been asked to deploy out to the states on these issues.”
Asserts that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs confirmed no military deployment to states for election issues.02:56-03:05