Trump says he ordered suit to block Alaska Senate results if GOP loses
Oct 23, 2026 6:55 PM EDT
President Trump is making a final push to help Republicans maintain control of Congress as some of the most closely watched races remain competitive. But the battle for the Senate is also playing out in court. In Alaska, the Trump administration sued to potentially block certification of the election if the Republican incumbent loses. White House correspondent Liz Landers reports.
Geoff Bennett:
President Trump is making a final campaign push to help Republicans maintain control of Congress, as some of the country's most closely watched races remain competitive. But the battle for the U.S. Senate is also playing out in court. In Alaska, the Trump administration has filed a lawsuit seeking to potentially block certification of the election if the Republican incumbent loses.
Our White House correspondent, Liz Landers, has been following both developments and joins us now.
So, Liz, let's start in Alaska, where the Justice Department has filed this unusual lawsuit. Why is the DOJ getting involved?
Liz Landers:
The Department of Justice has taken a series of potentially political actions really close to Election Day now. What was filed here in Alaska is, they're trying to block the certification of the vote there, but only if the Democrat, Mary Peltola, wins and beats the incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.
The issue here is that there is a-another candidate named Dan J. Sullivan, who's also on that ballot. And Republicans are worried that voters could get confused by this. But this has already been litigated by the Alaska Supreme Court, who said that Dan J. Sullivan could stay on this ballot.
Department of Justice is bringing this lawsuit, they say, to protect the integrity of the Senate election there. They say in their lawsuit that the federal government could be harmed by this election certification if it is -- quote -- "tainted by a frivolous candidacy because that undermines confidence in the makeup and workings of the federal government."
President Trump was asked about this earlier today.
President Donald Trump:
I'm the one that said do it. They have two guys run -- named Dan Sullivan running. So the Democrats put up a guy.
I don't think he ever voted before. All of a sudden, he decides to run for the Senate, and his name is Dan Sullivan. One is Daniel S. One is Daniel J. The Daniel J. is the fake.
Liz Landers:
Daniel J. Sullivan has voted in Alaska races before, just to be clear.
But I asked the former Department of Justice civil rights attorney David Becker, who's also an election expert about this, and he said this is purely a matter of state law, and the Department of Justice has no authority and no role here.
He said that this kind of litigation is unprecedented to try to block the certification of an election 11 days before the vote.
