The Rest Is Politics: US
The Rest Is Politics: US

233. Trump Just Tried to Rig Alaska’s Election

October 26, 2026 • 35m

Summary

⏱️ 7 min read

Overview

Anthony Scaramucci and Catty Kay analyze Trump's unprecedented legal strategy to challenge the 2026 midterm elections before they've even occurred, focusing on Alaska's Senate race as a test case. They discuss Obama's return to the campaign trail and his effectiveness in rallying voters, while examining the broader implications of the Justice Department's coordinated efforts to intervene in elections across 30 states. The episode explores how Trump is laying groundwork for post-election challenges and what this means for American democracy.

Trump's Preemptive Attack on Alaska's Senate Election

Trump has ordered the Justice Department to file a lawsuit to block certification of Alaska's Senate election if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses, citing confusion over a second candidate also named Dan Sullivan on the ballot. The Alaska Supreme Court already ruled in June that both candidates can run, making Trump's lawsuit essentially frivolous. This represents an alarming new tactic: challenging election results before anyone has voted, setting a precedent for similar challenges nationwide.

  • Trump ordered DOJ to block Alaska Senate election certification if Republican Dan Sullivan loses
  • The lawsuit centers on a second candidate named Dan Sullivan running as an independent, which Trump claims will confuse voters
  • Alaska Supreme Court already ruled in June that both candidates can legitimately appear on the ballot
  • In 2014, current Senator Dan Sullivan won while another Dan Sullivan was simultaneously on the ballot for lieutenant governor
  • Recent polling shows Democratic candidate Mary Peltola leading and likely to win even with the name confusion
" Trump is a total genius, he's got a prenup going with the democracy. So listen, if it doesn't work out, in the contract I want to redo. "
" He's found a way to contest an election before anyone has voted. Yeah, we'll have a democracy. But so long as the result is the result I want. "

The National Pattern: DOJ Lawsuits Across 30 States

Alaska is not an isolated incident but part of a coordinated Justice Department effort to challenge elections in 30 states. The DOJ has sued states demanding access to electoral rolls containing sensitive voter information, attempted to disrupt mail-in ballot screening, and deployed Homeland Security investigators to find evidence of illegal voting where none exists. Legal experts call these lawsuits frivolous, designed not to win but to create doubt about election integrity and intimidate voters.

  • The Justice Department has sued 30 states trying to obtain electoral rolls with sensitive information including addresses and social security digits
  • A deep red Utah case was thrown out on Friday, with other states successfully resisting DOJ demands
  • DOJ claims to have a list of 20,000 non-citizens registered to vote in California but won't reveal the source
  • Trump has lost roughly 60 cases since 2020 challenging electoral processes
  • Legal precedent strongly favors states' rights to administer their own elections
" If you can freeze certification over a name, guess what, Katty, you can freeze it over anything. And so this is a big test balloon for Trump. "

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