Attorney General Todd Blanche lashed out at CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday after she questioned whether President Donald Trump’s intervention in Alaska’s Senate election could lay the groundwork for overturning results he dislikes.
“Oh, stop it!” Blanche exclaimed during a heated appearance on “State of the Union.” “You’ve gotta stop it with that! You are not being a real person! Come on man, that is crazy!”
“It is not crazy!” Bash responded.
The confrontation came as Bash pressed Blanche about the Justice Department’s unprecedented lawsuit seeking to block certification of Alaska‘s Senate election if Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan loses. Trump acknowledged Friday that he directed the legal action, telling reporters, “I’m the one that said do it.”
The administration argues that another candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., could confuse voters and siphon support from the incumbent, potentially benefiting Democratic challenger Mary Peltola. Alaska courts have rejected efforts to remove the similarly named candidate from the ballot.
Asked what crime justified federal intervention, Blanche struggled to identify one.
“What’s the crime? Well, it depends. There could be a crime,” he said, before arguing that the real concern was voters becoming confused and having their voices ignored.
Bash then raised the possibility of a “doomsday scenario” in which Trump attempts to overturn election results, invoking the aftermath of the 2020 election and the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.
“That is not a real question!” Blanche protested.
“We’re not laying any groundwork for the president to do that!” he added, insisting the administration was not attempting to take over a state election.
Start your day with essential news from Salon.Sign up for our free morning newsletter, Crash Course.
On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., rejected the Justice Department’s intervention.
“It’s not the federal government’s business to run Alaskan elections,” Schiff said. “It’s Alaska’s business to do that.”
Schiff argued that Alaska’s courts had already addressed the ballot dispute and questioned the Justice Department’s legal standing.
The lawsuit has also drawn criticism from Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, underscoring opposition extending beyond Democrats.
With Election Day quickly approaching, the administration’s willingness to challenge how a state certifies its results has raised concerns about federal interference in elections traditionally administered by state officials.
Read more
about Todd Blanche
