President Donald Trump’s allegations of election fraud have become a recurring theme since his 2016 defeat in Iowa. Over the years, he has repeatedly accused political rivals—including Ted Cruz and Joe Biden—of manipulating election outcomes. This time, however, his claims have taken a new form: direct legal intervention aimed at influencing the upcoming midterms before any ballots are certified.
The Justice Department recently filed a lawsuit seeking to delay Alaska’s election certification while investigating potential voter confusion caused by two candidates sharing the same name, Dan Sullivan. Academics believe the lawsuit is the first time since the Civil Rights era that the federal government has sued to halt certification of an election, a duty the Constitution places in the hands of states. Trump followed that by calling for the prosecution of Democratic candidate Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, based on a New York Times report that her campaign helped recruit someone named Dan Sullivan to siphon away votes from the Republican incumbent, also named Dan Sullivan.
Alaska’s Republican-led state government has already resisted, filing motions to dismiss the lawsuit. Legal analysts describe the federal government’s case as legally flawed, with Derek Muller, a Notre Dame law professor, writing that the Alaska lawsuit’s legal argument was “one of the worst ones I’ve ever seen.” He said that should reassure the public that Trump won’t be able to change election outcomes. But the certification lawsuit raises Trump’s crusade beyond mere rhetoric, indicating that he is preparing to use the power of the presidency to try to reverse a possible loss as his party struggles to hold its control of Congress in Tuesday’s elections.
Trump’s History of Election Interference
This is not the first instance of Trump pressuring election officials. Earlier this month, the Justice Department sued California and Washington, alleging that noncitizens had been registered to vote in those states. Both states rejected the claims as untimely, and a federal judge blocked the California case.
Attorney General Todd Blanche has insisted the Justice Department is not interfering in elections, but the timing and scale of these actions are unprecedented. In 2020, Trump’s allies filed numerous lawsuits to overturn his loss, all of which failed.
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Early voting has proceeded without significant disruptions, with 35 million ballots cast so far. Unlike previous midterms, where Democrats anticipated but did not face major interference, this year’s elections are unfolding under heightened legal scrutiny. But the Justice Department’s more aggressive actions this month already make 2026 different from any election in recent memory. It has sued California to block it from counting ballots after it alleged the state had 20,000 noncitizens on its rolls and made a similar demand of Washington related to about 400 voters in that state.
Legal Battles Undermine Public Trust
Trump has stated he will accept election results, “if they’re honest elections,” he added. His allies, including former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory, argue that the Constitution will protect against any interference. However, legal experts warn that even unsuccessful lawsuits can amplify Trump’s narrative that the system is rigged, further undermining public confidence.
The Justice Department’s lawsuit in Alaska is part of a broader pattern. Earlier this month, the administration filed a similar lawsuit in California, alleging noncitizen voter registrations. Both states argue that federal intervention violates constitutional principles by overstepping into state-run election processes.
Earlier this week, the president also announced a $1 million bounty for anyone who provides proof of prior or current voter fraud in the country. It wasn’t clear whether or how he planned to follow through. Earlier, the Justice Department seized ballots and election records related to the 2020 presidential election in Georgia’s Fulton County, and the administration launched a sweeping investigation of that vote, though it has yet to turn up evidence supporting Trump’s false claims of fraud.
