News · AK
Trump says he directed DOJ to challenge Alaska certification
Elections and votingTrump said he ordered the Justice Department to sue to stop certification of Alaska Senate election results.
The Ballot Alaska Policy DeskOct 24, 2026
Election Day plan
The top Democrats on the Senate and House intelligence committees have arranged direct access to senior intelligence officials in case President Trump alleges foreign interference in the midterm elections.
Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia and Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut asked CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Jay Clayton to be reachable by phone on Election Day, CBS News reported. Warner said lawmakers would seek the basis and source of any intelligence used to support such a claim.
Himes said lawmakers have prepared for a range of situations, including the possibility that Trump does not accept the results. Warner and Himes expressed concern that fabricated or selectively presented intelligence could be used to question the outcome or justify unusual federal action, including attempts to take ballots or voting equipment.
Current intelligence assessment
Warner and Himes said recent intelligence assessments show no foreign plan to manipulate voting machines, registration systems or vote counts. They distinguished that kind of technical interference from influence operations intended to sway voters or weaken confidence in elections.
Himes said foreign influence activity remains substantial, but current assessments do not indicate the capability or intent to interfere with election mechanics. He also said meetings with career intelligence officials increased his confidence that analysts would resist pressure to create evidence of interference.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Clayton has told congressional intelligence leaders that he is available at any time. The CIA said Ratcliffe would remain available to the committees as appropriate.
In a July address, Trump cited declassified intelligence about China obtaining American voter data. That material did not show that China changed votes or election results. It remained unclear how much of the data was public, while the White House said some was not public.
