Trump takes credit for the Alaska Senate lawsuit: ‘I’m the one that said do it’

The Justice Department sued Alaska to stop the Senate result being certified if the Republican loses. In Fort Myers on Friday, the president didn’t bother pretending it was the department’s idea: “Well, I’m the one that said do it.”

On Thursday, Attorney General Todd Blanche told reporters it is “not DOJ’s intention... to improperly interfere with elections or the state confirmation process or certification process.” That same day, the department asked a federal court to block certification if Sen. Dan S. Sullivan loses and the votes for the other Dan Sullivan, Daniel J., would have changed the result. On the tarmac in Fort Myers on Friday, Trump called the other Sullivan “the fake,” said he “just so happens to be funded by liberal donors. Imagine that, what a coincidence,” and finished: “No, it’s a disgrace.” Those are his claims. Daniel J. Sullivan has told AP he isn’t in cahoots with anybody, and Mary Peltola’s campaign says it has nothing to do with either Sullivan.

The problem with the theory is the numbers. In August’s all-party primary, by NBC’s count, Peltola got 49.5%, the senator 41.4% and Daniel J. 2.5%. By our math, hand the senator every last Daniel J. vote and he’s still 5.6 points behind. David Becker of the Center for Election Innovation & Research called the suit “an unprecedented intervention by the federal government.”