Blanche Defends DOJ Lawsuit to Block Alaska Senate Certification If Sullivan Loses

Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday that a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska's Senate election if Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan loses is not an attempt to take over a state election. He defended the suit in Sunday television interviews, including on CNN's "State of the Union." The suit, filed last week in U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska, cites likely voter confusion over Daniel J. Sullivan, a second candidate with a nearly identical name on the ranked-choice ballot. The DOJ says Alaska should not certify if Sullivan does not win and the result would have differed had votes for the other Sullivan gone to the senator. It says the confusion could help former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, who is narrowly ahead in polls. Blanche said a court would decide any dispute later. President Trump said Friday in Florida that he told the DOJ to file. Blanche said he never discusses communications with the president.

Right-leaning outlets split on emphasis. The Daily Caller leads with a heated exchange in which Blanche told CNN's Dana Bash "oh, stop it" after she raised the possibility of another Jan. 6. The Washington Examiner headlines his refusal to say whether Trump ordered the suit, though it notes Trump's own public statement. Left-leaning MS NOW and NPR lead with Blanche's defense. MS NOW stresses his denial of any takeover and a "could be a crime" quote. NPR's headline stresses that the suit would block results if the Republican loses. Neither left excerpt mentions the Bash exchange. AP and CNBC largely match this defense framing and add detail on the ballot confusion.