Attorney General Blanche defends DOJ lawsuit over possible Alaska Senate certification block

Attorney General Todd Blanche on Sunday defended a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska's Senate election if Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan narrowly loses, saying on CNN's "State of the Union" that President Trump is not trying to take over a state election. The suit, filed last week, cites likely voter confusion over Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher also on the ballot. It says Alaska should not certify if Sullivan does not win and the result would have differed had votes for Daniel J. Sullivan gone to Senator Sullivan under rank-choice counting. The DOJ said the confusion could help former Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola, who is narrowly ahead in polls just over a week before the Nov. 3 election. Blanche said a court would decide later whether confusion produced an improper result. Trump told reporters Sunday that many people do not know what "incumbent" means and called rank-choice voting crooked. The ballot lists Sullivan as Dan S. Sullivan, "Incumbent." The Alaska Supreme Court earlier allowed Sullivan Jr. to stay on the ballot.

Left-leaning outlets MS NOW and NPR frame the story around Blanche's defense of the suit. MS NOW leads with his "could be a crime" remark and his denial that Trump is trying to take over an election, while NPR's headline says the suit would block results if the Republican loses. Right-leaning Fox News and Daily Caller instead center on his confrontations with CNN's Dana Bash. Fox stresses his demand that CNN show the Elections Clause's second part, which lets Congress alter election rules, and mentions the court ruling. The Daily Caller highlights him cutting off Bash's Jan. 6 comparison with "Oh, stop it." Both sides identify Blanche, CNN and the lawsuit. Coverage from the left presents the legal and electoral stakes. Coverage from the right presents the interview as a clash with the host. CNBC and Newsweek add Blanche's fuller explanation and Trump's ballot comments.