Trump Calls For Peltola To Exit Alaska Senate Race Over Alleged Candidate Scheme
8 hours ago
President Donald Trump is calling for Democratic Senate candidate Mary Peltola to withdraw from Alaska's closely watched Senate race following a New York Times report alleging that Democratic operatives recruited a candidate with the same name as her Republican opponent.
In a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump said Peltola should drop out of the race and face what he described as "legal and political consequences."
The controversy centers on Daniel J. Sullivan, a candidate whose name closely resembles that of incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.
According to the New York Times report described by Trump, Democratic aides in Alaska allegedly recruited Daniel J. Sullivan to enter the race in an effort to draw votes away from the Republican senator.
The alleged strategy raised questions about whether voters could confuse the two candidates when casting their ballots.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump accused Democrats of attempting to manipulate the election.
"They created a fake candidate. They took a candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against another candidate who's a great senator named Dan Sullivan in order to cheat in the election," Trump said.
The president claimed that those involved had previously denied any connection to the candidacy.
"They said they didn't do it and we caught them cold," Trump said.
Trump also called for Peltola to face criminal prosecution, although the allegations described in his remarks do not, by themselves, establish that she committed a crime.
"I think she should be prosecuted criminally for what she did. And I think that the people that participated with her should," Trump said.
The president characterized the alleged recruitment effort as an attempt to mislead voters and influence the outcome of the Senate contest.
"So that's a fraud. It's a fraud to the public," Trump said.
Peltola, a former U.S. representative, is challenging Sullivan in the November 3 midterm election.
The dispute comes during the final days of campaigning as Republicans and Democrats compete for control of the U.S. Senate.
Trump's comments place additional attention on the Alaska race, but the extent of Peltola's personal knowledge of or involvement in the alleged recruitment effort has not been established by the information presented.
The allegations have not been established in court, and Trump's calls for prosecution remain political statements rather than a finding of criminal wrongdoing.
Alaska voters will decide the Senate contest on Tuesday, November 3.
In a Truth Social post Wednesday, Trump said Peltola should drop out of the race and face what he described as "legal and political consequences."
The controversy centers on Daniel J. Sullivan, a candidate whose name closely resembles that of incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan.
According to the New York Times report described by Trump, Democratic aides in Alaska allegedly recruited Daniel J. Sullivan to enter the race in an effort to draw votes away from the Republican senator.
The alleged strategy raised questions about whether voters could confuse the two candidates when casting their ballots.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Trump accused Democrats of attempting to manipulate the election.
"They created a fake candidate. They took a candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against another candidate who's a great senator named Dan Sullivan in order to cheat in the election," Trump said.
The president claimed that those involved had previously denied any connection to the candidacy.
"They said they didn't do it and we caught them cold," Trump said.
Trump also called for Peltola to face criminal prosecution, although the allegations described in his remarks do not, by themselves, establish that she committed a crime.
"I think she should be prosecuted criminally for what she did. And I think that the people that participated with her should," Trump said.
The president characterized the alleged recruitment effort as an attempt to mislead voters and influence the outcome of the Senate contest.
"So that's a fraud. It's a fraud to the public," Trump said.
Peltola, a former U.S. representative, is challenging Sullivan in the November 3 midterm election.
The dispute comes during the final days of campaigning as Republicans and Democrats compete for control of the U.S. Senate.
Trump's comments place additional attention on the Alaska race, but the extent of Peltola's personal knowledge of or involvement in the alleged recruitment effort has not been established by the information presented.
The allegations have not been established in court, and Trump's calls for prosecution remain political statements rather than a finding of criminal wrongdoing.
Alaska voters will decide the Senate contest on Tuesday, November 3.
