Trump Orders DOJ Election Interventions Ahead of Midterms
President Donald Trump directed the Department of Justice to challenge election certifications and alleged noncitizen voting in several states before the 2026 midterm elections.
The United States Department of Justice took several actions in the two weeks preceding the 2026 midterm elections that critics describe as attempts to influence results in favor of Republicans. The agency alleged that noncitizens cast 20,000 illegal votes in California and 400 in Washington, though it provided no evidence for these figures. In California, an appeals court dismissed the case after a federal judge denied requests to segregate ballots.
President Donald Trump further directed the agency to file a lawsuit blocking the certification of the Alaska Senate election if incumbent Republican Daniel Sullivan does not win. The administration cited the presence of another candidate with the same name on the ballot as the basis for the challenge.
Outside of legal challenges, Trump waived tariffs on specific Canadian products to support the reelection bid of Senator Susan Collins in Maine. These combined actions are characterized as violations of the constitutional authority of states and Congress over elections and a breach of the federal 90-day quiet period intended to prohibit interference in voting procedures.
