Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended the Justice Department's lawsuit seeking to block Alaska from automatically certifying its Senate election results, denying it paves the way for President Trump to challenge outcomes.
Blanche appeared on CNN's "State of the Union" ahead of the Nov. 3 election, a race Republicans view as critical to maintaining Senate control during Trump's second term.
The Justice Department's suit centers on two candidates sharing nearly identical names on the ballot: Senator Dan Sullivan, the Republican incumbent, and Daniel J. Sullivan, a retired schoolteacher from Petersburg. The department argues the overlap risks confusing voters.
Some Democrats have characterized the lawsuit as election interference. Republicans have accused Daniel J. Sullivan of running as a spoiler to siphon votes from the incumbent in his tight race against Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman.
Daniel J. Sullivan said his decision to run was independent and denied his candidacy was intended to confuse voters or damage Senator Sullivan.
Blanche explicitly denied the lawsuit was setting the stage for Trump to challenge the election. "We're not laying any groundwork for the president to do that," he told anchor Dana Bash. "President Trump is not trying to take over a state election in any way, shape or form."
Bash pressed Blanche on an earlier remark he made to reporters in Virginia, in which he said the Justice Department could intervene in vote certification during a "doomsday" scenario. She questioned whether the Alaska case risked mirroring the legal chaos following the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks.
Blanche pushed back sharply. "You got to stop it with that," he told Bash. "You are not being a real person. Come on, man." He called the suggestion "crazy."
The Justice Department's lawsuit demands Alaska not "certify any election results that may be impacted by voter confusion." Blanche clarified the department's specific demand is "to not certify if the law is broken," emphasizing that Alaska and its courts would ultimately decide the matter.
