President Donald J. Trump raged at Democrat Alaska Senate hopeful Mary Peltola after a New York Times bombshell alleged that her staffers worked to recruit a “spoiler” candidate with the same name as her GOP opponent.
According to the paper, the alleged search bore fruit in a retired teacher from a remote fishing village in the northern state’s panhandle whose name is Dan J. Sullivan. Peltola is running a surprisingly close race to take the seat from Dan Sullivan, the incumbent Republican senator.
The Times report has sparked a major political firestorm less than a week before the midterm elections, with Trump’s party holding onto their Senate majority for dear life, with control hinging on a number of close races, including in Alaska.
In a Wednesday Truth Social post, the president addressed the rapidly blooming scandal.
It has just been determined that the Democrats in Alaska illegally searched for, and recruited, a man named Dan Sullivan to run against our distinguished Republican Senator, Dan Sullivan, in order to defraud, confuse, and obfuscate the Election, thereby taking votes away from the REAL Senator, Dan Sullivan. The New York Times reports that, “Democrats have insisted they have nothing to do with the other Dan Sullivan on Alaska’s Senate ballot. But aides with the Mary Peltola campaign and DSCC were part of a monthslong secret plan to recruit him to run — as well as other candidates.” The Democrats’ false statements were made under oath in Federal Court. Therefore, they perjured themselves, and should be liable for very serious consequences. Mary Peltola should suffer the Legal and Political consequences for what she has done, A FRAUD ON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, and Dan Sullivan should be allowed to run without either Mary Peltola or FAKE Dan Sullivan on the Ballot. President DONALD J. TRUMP
( TS: Oct 28 2026, 3:08 PM ET )
— Commentary Donald J. Trump Truth Social Posts On X (@TrumpTruthOnX) October 28, 2026
“It has just been determined that the Democrats in Alaska illegally searched for, and recruited, a man named Dan Sullivan to run against our distinguished Republican Senator, Dan Sullivan, in order to defraud, confuse, and obfuscate the Election, thereby taking votes away from the REAL Senator, Dan Sullivan,” he said.
“The New York Times reports that, ‘Democrats have insisted they have nothing to do with the other Dan Sullivan on Alaska’s Senate ballot. But aides with the Mary Peltola campaign and DSCC were part of a monthslong secret plan to recruit him to run — as well as other candidates.’ The Democrats’ false statements were made under oath in Federal Court. Therefore, they perjured themselves, and should be liable for very serious consequences,” Trump’s post read.
“Mary Peltola should suffer the Legal and Political consequences for what she has done, A FRAUD ON THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, and Dan Sullivan should be allowed to run without either Mary Peltola or FAKE Dan Sullivan on the Ballot,” the post concluded.
You know it’s serious because it’s not often that Trump pumps up the New York Times, a paper that he has repeatedly savaged as “fake news” for its reporting.
Trump later told reporters that Peltola should “be prosecuted criminally.” The president did not name what she should be charged with.
President Trump accuses Democrats of creating a fake candidate in the Alaska U.S. Senate race: “Mary Peltola should resign from the race. I think she should be prosecuted criminally for what she did.” https://t.co/OFPPwQQnOw
— CSPAN (@cspan) October 28, 2026
According to The New York Times, Peltola’s denials of chicanery don’t pass the smell test.
“The Peltola campaign has repeatedly denied any involvement in his candidacy. But The Times has found, based on interviews and text messages, along with documents prepared for a potential lawsuit against the campaign, that not only did Ms. Peltola’s team work with people trying to recruit Mr. Sullivan to run for Senate, but the effort was much broader. The group worked to coax other would-be spoilers into the race, to dilute the incumbent’s support and help catapult the Democrat to victory,” the paper reported.
In another Wednesday post to Truth Social, Trump urged Alaskans to turn out to vote for the GOP candidate to defeat the Democrat trickery.
“The Dumocrats are trying to steal this Race by putting a FAKE Daniel J. Sullivan, Jr. on the Ballot. People will not be able to figure it out, and many Votes will be lost,” he said, giving Sen. Sullivan his “complete and total” endorsement.
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