President Donald Trump went after Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Saturday night, a day after she said his Justice Department “should never have filed” its lawsuit over Alaska’s Senate race.
“The Republicans’ Worst Senator, by far, Lisa Murkowski, of the Great State of Alaska… who only got elected because of Corrupt Ranked Choice Voting, is upset because I revealed what everyone knows, that the Ranked Choice Voting Ballot is a TOTAL DEMOCRAT SCAM meant to confuse the Voter,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
He accused Democrats of putting Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. on the ballot so that Republican Sen. Dan S. Sullivan “will lose Votes,” and he suggested Murkowski is in on it.
“He is only there because the Democrats want to steal the Election, and Murkowski probably wants that to happen, which is why she is against the DOJ filing a Lawsuit in order to stop this impending crime and tragedy,” Trump wrote at near midnight.
“Lisa Murkowski is a DISGRACE to Alaska and our Country,” he added. “You just don’t get any worse!”
Trump attached an image of the U.S. Senate section of Alaska’s ballot under the word “SCAM!” in large red letters. The image shows the senator listed as “Sullivan, Dan S. (Registered Republican) Incumbent” and the other candidate as “Sullivan, Daniel J. Jr.” with no party label. Murkowski pointed to that same labeling when she said the state had already “clearly” distinguished the two candidates.
Trump also warned Alaskans that if Democrats win the seat, “everything we’ve done for Alaska will come to an immediate hault[sic].” He urged them to vote yes on Ballot Measure 2, which would repeal the state’s ranked-choice voting system.
The DOJ suit, which Trump has said he personally ordered, asks a federal judge to block certification of the race only if Sen. Sullivan loses to Democrat Mary Peltola. If he does, the department wants an investigation into whether votes for Daniel J. Sullivan were really meant for the senator.
Peltola’s campaign and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee have asked to join the case. In their filing they said the DOJ is demanding a “Hobson’s choice,” and that Alaskans “must elect Senator Dan S. Sullivan or the President will not let them elect anyone at all.” Democrats have denied having anything to do with Daniel J. Sullivan’s candidacy, and he has said the name was passed down from his father and grandfather.
Murkowski, who won reelection in 2022 under ranked-choice voting, has broken with Trump many times. She voted to convict him at his second impeachment trial.