‘Oh, stop it!’: DOJ’s Todd Blanche snaps at CNN’s Dana Bash over Jan. 6 comparison in Alaska election dispute

THE ALASKA STORY

Oct. 26, 2026 – Attorney General Todd Blanche sharply rebuked CNN anchor Dana Bash on Sunday after she suggested the Justice Department’s Alaska election lawsuit could set the stage for an effort to overturn election results and unrest resembling the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

“Oh, stop it!” Blanche interrupted during the Oct. 25 interview on State of the Union.

Bash responded: “Why are you yelling at me?”

The exchange escalated as Blanche accused Bash of framing an effort to address alleged voter confusion as preparation for presidential misconduct. Bash defended her question by pointing to Trump’s efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election. That was the one in which Joe Biden received 81.3 million votes — the most votes of any presidential candidate in history, despite campaigning from his basement.

Blanche rejected the comparison and said the administration was seeking a legal process through which Alaska could examine whether confusion affected its Senate election. He denied that Trump was attempting to take control of the state’s election.

The lawsuit centers on the appearance of incumbent Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan and another candidate, “Decoy Dan,” Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., on the same ballot. Sullivan is facing Democratic former Congresswoman Mary Peltola in a closely watched contest. Decoy Dan was placed on the ballot by Democrats in order to peel off votes from distracted or careless voters.

The Justice Department wants certification withheld under circumstances in which Sullivan loses and voter confusion could have affected the outcome. Blanche has characterized the case as an effort to preserve evidence and allow an investigation, rather than a federal determination of who should win.

The other Sullivan, a retired educator from Petersburg, has denied that his candidacy is intended to confuse voters.

Trump has publicly acknowledged directing the litigation. Blanche declined to discuss his private communications with the president when Bash questioned him about that involvement. Attorneys do not discuss their communications with their clients.

Bash also challenged how officials could determine voters’ intentions when ballots are secret. Blanche argued that patterns in ranked-choice ballots could provide evidence of confusion.

Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have moved to intervene and seek dismissal of the lawsuit.

Their attorneys argue that the National Voter Registration Act, on which the Justice Department relies, governs voter registration and does not authorize the relief sought over candidate names on a ballot.

Peltola has condemned the litigation as election interference, corruption and desperation. The ACLU, ACLU of Alaska, League of Women Voters of Alaska and Common Cause have also sought to join the case.

In their latest request, Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee urged Chief US District Judge Sharon Gleason to resolve the matter before the Nov. 3 election. They contend that leaving the lawsuit pending could cast doubt on a potential Peltola victory before any legal basis for challenging it has been established.

Alaska’s ballot identifies the incumbent as “Sullivan, Dan S.” and includes his Republican affiliation and incumbent designation. The other candidate appears as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” without a party affiliation.

Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski has opposed the federal lawsuit, arguing that Alaska has already distinguished the candidates sufficiently. The incumbent Sullivan’s campaign has also said Alaskans can tell the candidates apart, while allowing the Justice Department’s complaint to run its course.