Attorney General Todd Blanche has declined to pledge DOJ’s independence from the White House and would not rule out similar suits in other states
Donald Trump says he ordered the Department of Justice to sue the state of Alaska in an effort to block the results of a U.S. Senate election from being certified, unless the incumbent Republican wins.
Government attorneys filed a lawsuit Friday arguing that the presence of Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the ballot would confuse voters who support the sitting senator, Daniel S. Sullivan, in the unusual matchup of two candidates with the same name up against a Democratic candidate.
“I’m the one that said do it,” Trump told reporters Friday. “They have two Dan Sullivans.”
Trump’s admission of an extraordinary intervention in the nation’s elections follows the president’s threats to overhaul election administration and assert federal control before critical midterm elections with the balance of power in Congress, and fate of his final years in office, at stake.
First of all, the headline focuses on Trump’s order but fails to inform people of the more important fact that a lawsuit has actually been filed.
Second, this has already been adjudicated, it’s a matter of state law, and the case isn’t ripe because they are suing over a hypothetical that has not happened yet.
But even if there weren’t all those other reasons to toss out the suit, the whole thing is nonsense anyway because Alaska has ranked choice voting. Anyone who is confused can pick both Daniel Sullivans. The only way it could possibly become an issue is if the two Dans come in first and second, which has effectively no chance of happening.