President Donald Trump has escalated efforts to challenge the integrity of U.S. elections by directing the federal government to intervene in Alaska’s Senate race before votes are tallied. Last week, the Justice Department filed a lawsuit seeking to block the certification of the election results if Republican incumbent Senator Dan S. Sullivan loses narrowly, citing confusion caused by the presence of another candidate with a nearly identical name on the ballot.

This marks a shift in tactics for the Trump administration, moving beyond rhetoric at rallies and voter roll challenges to preemptively contest possible outcomes in key races. The lawsuit asserts that Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher who qualified to appear on the ballot, has unfairly skewed the race toward Democrats by confusing voters. The Alaska Supreme Court had previously ruled in June that the second Sullivan could remain on the ballot.

Alaska Attorney General Todd Blanche, appearing on CNN, defended the federal government’s involvement, stating that while the DOJ is not attempting to determine the next senator, it aims to ensure the state electoral system addresses any confusion that might undermine voter intent. The White House confirmed that Trump directed the lawsuit and labeled the situation as a "corrupt weaponization" by Democrats, though Democrats have denied any connection to the second Sullivan’s candidacy.

Election law experts largely view the lawsuit as lacking legal merit and unlikely to succeed. However, analysts warn that the administration’s real objective may be to sow doubt about the election’s legitimacy, rather than secure a court victory. Michael McNulty, a former senior elections adviser at the U.S. Agency for International Development, described the approach as part of an “election takeover playbook” seen in autocratic regimes, noting that the Department of Justice has been “weaponized” under Trump.

This legal action is part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to expand federal authority over elections. Other recent efforts include attempts to direct the U.S. Postal Service to screen mail ballots—blocked by the Supreme Court—and lawsuits against 30 states and the District of Columbia demanding voter rolls, most of which have failed in court. Federal investigators have also been deployed in several states to search for evidence of illegal voting, with a judge recently limiting those operations.

The Alaska case has heightened concerns among election officials and some Democrats that such interventions could provide a pretext to challenge or delay election certification. Alaska’s Division of Elections, overseen by Lieutenant Governor Nancy Dahlstrom—a Republican who initially sought to remove the second Sullivan from the ballot—could be influenced by this federal pressure, complicating the race in a closely watched Senate contest against Democratic challenger Mary S. Peltola.

Critics argue that Trump’s allies across federal and state election bodies echo his unfounded claims of fraud, risking the credibility of the electoral process. Benjamin Howland, formerly on the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission before being removed by Trump, warned that the DOJ is acting as the president’s personal legal team to undermine unfavorable results, a development he called “a pretty horrible prospect.”

While the Trump administration’s Alaska lawsuit faces strong legal skepticism, its potential to erode public trust in election outcomes underscores growing tensions ahead of the midterm elections.