Trump preparing to reject election results even before the midterms? ... Orders Alaska lawsuit

[Financial News] U.S. President Donald Trump personally ordered a lawsuit to block certification of the election results if the Republican candidate loses in next month’s midterm elections. Because he is pursuing legal action based on the possibility of a loss even before voting has begun, the move has sparked debate over whether it is a preemptive step to challenge the election results.
The Associated Press (AP), The Washington Post (WP) and other outlets reported on the 23rd (local time) that the U.S. Department of Justice had filed a lawsuit the previous day, seeking to delay official certification of the results if incumbent Republican Senator Dan Sullivan loses by a narrow margin to Democratic candidate Mary Peltola in Alaska’s U.S. Senate election.
President Trump acknowledged that he had personally directed the lawsuit when he spoke to reporters in Florida that day. He claimed that Democrats were confusing voters by fielding a candidate with the same name as the Republican candidate.
At the center of the controversy are two candidates with the same name: incumbent Republican Senator Dan S. Sullivan and Dan J. Sullivan, a former teacher who is now retired. Republicans claim that Democrats put forward a namesake candidate to split the vote, but the candidate and Democrats deny it.
The Justice Department argues that voters could confuse the two candidates and that, if such confusion affected the election results, the results should not be certified until voters’ actual intentions can be determined.
However, an Alaska state court has already allowed the namesake candidate to run. State election officials have also put measures in place to reduce confusion, including distinguishing the candidates by their middle initials on the ballot and identifying the incumbent senator.
The lawsuit is drawing attention because Alaska’s election is a key factor that could determine which party holds the Senate majority. To regain the majority, Democrats need to win four additional seats currently held by Republicans. A loss by the incumbent Republican in Alaska would help Democrats gain a seat.
U.S. media and election law experts said it was highly unusual for the federal government to try to block certification of a particular outcome before an election has even been held. In the United States, state governments are generally responsible for administering elections and certifying the results.
Questions have also been raised about whether the lawsuit has sufficient legal grounds. Under the principle of the secret ballot, it is difficult to determine after the fact which candidate voters actually intended to vote for.
Trump also refused to accept the results after losing the 2020 presidential election, raising allegations of election fraud. This is why Democrats and voting-rights advocacy groups are concerned that similar legal disputes could continue after the midterms.
However, the lawsuit is not asking for the results to be invalidated solely because the Republican candidate lost. It is a conditional request to delay certification if votes for the namesake candidate may have affected the outcome. It is uncertain whether the court will grant the request.

[email protected] Kim Gyeong-min Reporter