AI Image
Trump Makes Wild Election Claim as Miller Takes the Reins
The Daily Beast • • nation
Key Points:
- Former President Donald Trump prematurely declared victory in Alaska's Senate race for Republican Dan Sullivan, despite Democrat Mary Peltola leading in the vote count with 48.17% to Sullivan's 47.88%, and only 75% of ballots counted.
- Trump used flawed math by adding votes from two other candidates, Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. and Gerald Heikes, to Dan Sullivan's total, ignoring Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system where votes are redistributed based on voter preferences, not simply combined.
- Alaska’s ranked-choice tabulation is scheduled for November 18, meaning the race outcome is not yet finalized; meanwhile, Trump and his new chief of staff Stephen Miller have criticized the election process, alleging voter fraud without evidence.
- Allegations surfaced that Peltola’s campaign may have coordinated with Daniel J. Sullivan Jr. to influence the ballot, which Peltola’s team has denied; Trump also claimed without proof that independent candidate Heikes was fraudulent.
- Trump’s insistence on reallocating votes and declaring the race over reflects his broader post-election rhetoric challenging Democratic victories and questioning election integrity.
