With just four days to Election Day, President Donald Trump’s administration has escalated a fierce legal offensive against states, in an extraordinary federal intervention that could decide control of Congress.
The moves come as America hurtles toward the November 3 midterms that will determine who controls the House and Senate for Trump’s final two years in office.
Justice Department Targets Alaska Senate Race
In Alaska, the Justice Department filed an amended lawsuit on Thursday seeking to block certification of results if the Republican incumbent loses by a narrow margin.
The department cited a New York Times report alleging Democratic operatives recruited a spoiler candidate to siphon votes from the Republican.
The lawsuit has jolted one of about 10 highly competitive Senate races in the country. Democrats need a net gain of four seats to flip the Senate, and a legal fight in Alaska could leave control of the chamber in limbo for weeks.
California Probe Intensifies
In California, the DOJ is turning up the heat on state election officials, issuing subpoenas as part of a criminal investigation into alleged voting by non-citizens, according to documents seen by Reuters.
The department says the action aims to protect election integrity. State officials say the Constitution governs how elections are administered locally.
Together, the cases represent an unprecedented federal push into state-run elections, with election officials nationwide telling Reuters they are bracing for more challenges from Washington.
Final Sprint On The Trail
On the campaign trail, President Trump is heading to Florida on Friday to fire up the conservative base in a state he won comfortably in 2024 but where early voting data shows a Democratic tilt. His Florida stop follows rallies in Mississippi and South Carolina – states Republicans normally win easily – a sign of how high the stakes have become.
Planned rallies in Kansas and Iowa were canceled, replaced by some 20 virtual appearances before Tuesday, according to the RNC.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who Trump defeated in 2024, will rally Democrats in Atlanta on Friday as Democrats eye a takeover of one or both chambers.
If they succeed, they could launch investigations into the Trump administration. More than 44 million Americans had already voted as of Thursday, according to the University of Florida Election Lab – just two million shy of the entire 2022 midterm total.
At a polling centre in Columbus, Ohio, turnout is already double that of 2022.
