Blanche defends Alaska suit Trump says he ordered, then calls CNN's question 'crazy'

World Socialist Web SiteOct 26

“The implications of this unprecedented claim are ominous and deeply anti-democratic. It amounts to a blanket assertion of federal authority over state elections whenever the president orders it.”World Socialist Web Site · arguing Blanche's reliance on the National Voter Registration Act preamble gives Washington open-ended power over state elections

“In 2020, top Justice Department officials refused Trump’s demand that they declare the election corrupt and threatened to resign en masse if he installed a loyalist to do it. Now the department is acting on his direct order.”World Socialist Web Site · contrasting DOJ resistance in 2020 with its present compliance to claim the department now acts on Trump's orders

the WSWS wrote. It called the suit "the first effort to challenge the results of the election even before Election Day" and predicted challenges to seating Democrats on January 3.

PBS NewsHourOct 26

is the AP story's line on noncitizen voting, placed beside the administration's claim. Its Alaska story led with Blanche, who "argued that the legal challenge was a necessary step to avoid confusing voters," then gave Peltola and Murkowski the reply.

The Free PressOct 26

“That headline is not technically false, but it is so misleading it might as well be.”The Free Press · faulting the New York Times for framing the DOJ suit as an attempt to block Alaska's vote if a Republican loses

“while there is no proof, it is highly plausible that schoolteacher Dan Sullivan entered the race to steal votes from people mistakenly believing they’re voting for Senator Dan Sullivan.”The Free Press · suggesting the second Sullivan is a spoiler candidate, which supports the DOJ's voter-confusion rationale

the Free Press wrote of The New York Times. The one Libertarian receipt argued it is "highly plausible that schoolteacher Dan Sullivan entered the race to steal votes," recasting the suit as a response to a Democratic spoiler.

The Daily WireOct 26

“Following Trump's orders, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit on Thursday to preemptively block Alaska from certifying results if Sullivan narrowly loses.”The Daily Wire, quoted by The Daily Wire · states the DOJ sued ahead of the vote to stop Alaska certifying a narrow Sullivan loss

is how the Daily Wire described the second Sullivan, inside a story on Peltola's crash. Fox covered the Ninth Circuit's "emergency effort to force California to set aside thousands of mail-in ballots" and gave Judge Patrick Bumatay's focus on noncitizen voting.

ICT NewsOct 26

“said he told his administration to sue to block certification of the race if Peltola wins”Associated Press, via ICT News, quoted by ICT News · reports Trump publicly said he directed a suit to block certification if Peltola wins

ICT wrote, framing Peltola's race as one of three Native women's Senate bids. The one Native outlet treated the suit as context and the candidate as the story.

Al JazeeraOct 26

Al Jazeera wrote. It led with the Trump-appointed judge's doubts about the California request.

World Socialist Web SiteOct 26

WSWS chairman David North asked of El-Sayed. The one Communist receipt attacked the candidate from the left and ignored the Muslim Brotherhood charge entirely.

The InterceptOct 25

the Intercept wrote, aiming its fire at Democrats who will not back El-Sayed rather than at Trump. [41]

NBC NewsOct 26

“The enemy is right here among us, local terrorists, local citizens that want to demolish our country”David Beamer, father of Flight 93 passenger Todd Beamer, speaking at Trump's rally, quoted by NBC News · extending the 9/11 comparison to label a Michigan Senate candidate and fellow citizens as domestic enemies while Trump stood onstage

NBC wrote, noting he "offered no evidence for any of the claims." USA Today separated the two halves: "Trump mixed those false attacks with more truthful criticisms," such as Piker. MSNBC's Detroit report diverged from the rally coverage, saying the empty yards are "setting off alarm bells" among Black voters.

PBS NewsHourOct 26

“They are crossing a red line. They are racist.”Bishara Bahbah, founder of Arab Americans for Trump, quoted by PBS NewsHour · a Trump outreach leader from 2024 condemning the president's remarks and warning of consequences among Arab and Muslim voters

“to keep a jihadist Muslim Brotherhood member from becoming a United States senator.”Donald Trump, President, quoted by PBS NewsHour · stating his reason for coming to Michigan, tying El-Sayed to the Muslim Brotherhood despite no evidence of any affiliation

the AP story on PBS began, then printed Bahbah's rebuke and Piker's past statements in the same piece. Its Obama story gave his line "We have seen this movie before.

The BulwarkOct 26

“Republicans and their allies not even pretending to observe traditional standards of accuracy, civility, and basic decency in politics, especially when it comes to Muslims.”The Bulwark · arguing the anti-El-Sayed campaign is part of a wider GOP drift into open hostility toward Muslims

“a violent, vicious jihadist.”Donald Trump, President, quoted by The Bulwark · Trump's repeated description of El-Sayed, which the piece cites as proof of the party's anti-Muslim strategy

the Bulwark wrote, walking through the sharia ad's misuse of a 2008 mortgage quote.

The Free PressOct 26

“They will use division, and they may even use your name or your faith to somehow suggest that you are dangerous and less than trustworthy and less patriotic and less American than they are.”Barack Obama, former president, quoted by The Free Press · responding to attacks on El-Sayed's Muslim faith by accusing opponents of using his name and religion to cast him as un-American

“a strange way of putting things for a former president with a 29-acre waterfront estate on Martha’s Vineyard”The Free Press · mocking Obama for casting Republicans as 'those at the top' while owning a luxury estate

The Free Press mocked Obama's "those at the top" line as odd from a man with "a 29-acre waterfront estate" on Martha's Vineyard. The one Libertarian receipt built its case against El-Sayed from Democratic doubts, not religion.

Breitbart NewsOct 26

“Abdul El-Sayed, the Muslim Socialist with ties to the Muslim Brotherhood”Breitbart News · labeling the Democratic Senate nominee by his religion and alleging an extremist connection, in the outlet's own voice

is how Breitbart described El-Sayed in its own voice. Its other receipts carried Trump's "jihadist" line and Minaj's endorsement, OAN repeated the metal-detector quote in its headline, and the Daily Wire gave Rogers his list of Democratic blocs he says El-Sayed has lost.

Al JazeeraOct 26

“He would be the only senator that will have to go through a metal detector before he’s allowed to go into the Senate”Donald Trump, US president, quoted by Al Jazeera · singling out a Muslim Senate candidate for special security screening, with no evidence offered

“If Abdul and the Democrats win, they will open the floodgates and invite hordes of jihadists to our shores, creating a nightmare of violence and terror until you cannot even have a Christmas”Donald Trump, US president, quoted by Al Jazeera · tying a Democratic win to Muslim immigration, terror and the loss of Christmas

Al Jazeera wrote, and noted Rogers voted in 2012 to continue US aid to Egypt under a Brotherhood president. [322]

La OpiniónOct 26

“Él sería el único senador que tendrá que pasar por un detector de metales antes de que se le permita entrar al Senado. Quiero que haya un detector de metales para él”Donald Trump, US president, quoted by La Opinión · demanding special security screening for a Muslim Senate candidate he calls a jihadist

“Están cruzando una línea. Son racistas”Bishara Bahbah, founder of Arab Americans for Trump, quoted by La Opinión · a former Trump ally who helped mobilize Arab American voters in 2024 calls the attacks on El-Sayed racist

La Opinión wrote in Spanish, closely following the AP account and Bahbah's rebuke. [353]

World Socialist Web SiteOct 26

“In other words, it is a totally unsubstantiated piece of war propaganda.”World Socialist Web Site · dismissing the Clayton memo on Iranian plots as a pretext after the NYT conceded the intelligence cannot be judged

“The Democrats are playing a critical role in enabling Trump’s criminal war aims.”World Socialist Web Site · arguing Democrats share the war's aims and would rather Trump strike before the new Congress is seated

the WSWS wrote of the Clayton memo, citing the Times' own caveats. It cast Democrats such as Jason Crow as partners in the war, attacking it only for its cost.

CNNOct 26

“it is a question of when, not if, Trump will issue a go-order”Current and former US officials, per CNN, quoted by CNN · officials expect a major strike order before year's end, most likely after the midterms

“Netanyahu really wanted and tried to convince Trump for a joint attack in Iran before the elections, and Trump did not give a green light”Israeli security source, quoted by CNN · showing Netanyahu is pushing for strikes while Washington holds him back until joint operations are ready

some officials told CNN, which laid out embassy drawdowns and canceled troop rotations as signs of escalation. Crow told CBS "Iran remains a danger" and pivoted to Hegseth and Russia.

Antiwar.comOct 26

“I don’t give a damn, I’m gonna say it: we’re making a freakin fortune.”President Donald Trump, quoted by Antiwar.com · boasting that US oil companies profit from Hormuz disruption while Americans pay higher gas prices

“Iranian officials say that they’re ready to face another round of US-Israeli strikes and are warning that their retaliatory attacks will be much heavier and hit targets in the region that they previously spared.”Antiwar.com, relaying Iranian officials, quoted by Antiwar.com · warning that renewed strikes would bring wider regional retaliation

Antiwar.com wrote that Trump "dismissed the high gas prices that Americans are facing at the pump" while boasting of oil profits. Its second receipt gave the Iranian drone claim and the cost gap between a $35,000 LUCAS and $30 million Reapers.

Breitbart NewsOct 26

“Do I make a deal with them or do I finish them off? That’s the only question”Donald Trump, US president, quoted by Breitbart News · framing the choice between a deal and a new major strike round as military planners prepare broader target options

“A single miscalculation is all it takes: the occupied lands rendered uninhabitable in under an hour”Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran's parliamentary National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, quoted by Breitbart News · threatening Israel as the US weighs renewed strikes on Iran

Breitbart set Trump's choice against new plans drawn up "amid escalating threats from Tehran," and highlighted his claim that business through Hormuz now beats prewar levels.

The American ConservativeOct 26

“There will be no strike today”Donald Trump, US president, quoted by The American Conservative · ruling out an attack that weekend despite embassy evacuations and speculation about imminent strikes

TAC's daily log called direct fighting "relatively low-intensity" and closed on AAA prices of $4.29 for gas and $6.35 for diesel. The one Religious Right receipt kept the war numbered by day and priced at the pump.

Al JazeeraOct 26

Al Jazeera relayed CENTCOM's export figures, then added in its own voice: "However, oil prices remain far higher than before the start of the war." [321]

JacobinOct 26

Jacobin wrote, quoting Eisenkot's pledge that no Palestinian state will be established under his government. Both Jacobin pieces treated the vote as a choice between two security platforms.

MSNBCOct 26

“We have to finish the job that we started!”Donald Trump, U.S. President, quoted by MSNBC · re-endorsing Netanyahu on Truth Social days before the vote, with the Iran war possibly restarting after the midterms

MSNBC wrote that President Isaac Herzog "will wield significant power" in picking who forms a government, and gave him room to rebuff Trump's pressure. ABC carried the Zamir report and Eisenkot's backing of the army chief.

Antiwar.comOct 26

“another two years of Trump to finish the work in Iran, and there’s no telling what will come after that—whether it’s Kamala Harris or some other mediocre figure.”Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel, quoted by Antiwar.com · tying Israel's Iran campaign to Trump's remaining time in office just before the election, a statement US officials feared Iran might read as a threat

“there was no evidence either before the June 2025 war or the current war that Tehran had decided to pursue nuclear weapons, and that was the consensus of the US intelligence agencies.”Antiwar.com · disputing the nuclear-threat rationale Netanyahu and Trump use for the Iran conflict

Antiwar.com wrote, adding that US intelligence found no Iranian decision to build a bomb. Its endorsement story led with Axios's report that Netanyahu pleaded with Trump.

Breitbart NewsOct 26

“If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so,”Donald Trump, US president, quoted by Breitbart News · warning that a Netanyahu defeat could leave the US to confront Iran without Israel's help

“Do I make a deal with them or do I finish them off? That’s the only question,”Donald Trump, US president, quoted by Breitbart News · on whether to negotiate with Tehran or launch another round of strikes, as he urges Israelis to re-elect Netanyahu

Breitbart wrote that Trump "credited his partnership with Netanyahu for military successes against Iran," and printed Likud's denial of the Axios report. The one MAGA receipt framed the vote as the next step in the Iran campaign.

The AlgemeinerOct 26

“If two atomic bombs fell in central Israel, who would care about all these pointless controversies?”Yuval Bloomberg, political commentator (post shared by Netanyahu), quoted by The Algemeiner · arguing Iran's nuclear threat outweighs every other campaign issue and that Israel has two years of Trump to finish the job

The Algemeiner described "an election dominated by the wars that followed the massacre," listing the Haredi draft and cost of living beside Iran. It gave Netanyahu's warnings and Eisenkot's "scare tactics" reply equal space.

Al JazeeraOct 26

Al Jazeera wrote that no frontrunner "has questioned the case for unleashing a genocide on Gaza," and lined up candidates' quotes rejecting a Palestinian state. Mondoweiss argued that "only Zionist opinions are allowed," noting opposition parties have ruled out Arab partners.

JacobinOct 26

“Victory for Flávio Bolsonaro in Brazil’s election would bring mafiosi to power and reward interference by the White House and Miami reactionaries.”Jacobin · framing the runoff as a fight against organized-crime-linked rule and US interference

“The right-winger’s pick (for now) as finance minister has talked about cutting the Bolsa Família welfare payment and other social programs.”Jacobin · warning that a Bolsonaro government would cut welfare programs the poor rely on

Jacobin wrote before the vote that a Bolsonaro victory "would bring mafiosi to power" and reward White House interference. The one Democratic Socialist receipt treated Lula as the only barrier to the far right.

USA TodayOct 26

“This country doesn’t accept being anybody’s colony.”Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil's president, quoted by USA Today · in his victory speech, rebuking alleged US interference in the race

“There’s a lot that needs to be cleared up before Brazil simply accepts this foul play”Flávio Bolsonaro, defeated candidate, quoted by USA Today · refusing to concede and signaling a bid to annul the result

was USA Today's headline, and CNN wrote that the win "bucks a broader rightward political shift across Latin America." Both receipts reported the extension and quoted an analyst calling Bolsonaro's challenge unlikely to succeed. [127][72][123]

Washington ExaminerOct 26

The Examiner ran the AP story, which said the result "provides relief to critics of widening U.S. influence in Latin America." It added no commentary of its own.

Breitbart NewsOct 26

“He was allowed to run for president once more through the grace of the nation’s top court, the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF), which in 2021 overturned his conviction on a technicality, not revealing any new exonerating information regarding his case.”Breitbart News · arguing Lula's candidacy itself depends on a court's technicality rather than exoneration

“so those that refused to close at the appropriate time — presumably, those advocated for by the Lula campaign — obtained an extra two hours to collect votes.”Breitbart News · claiming Justice Zanin's extension ruling selectively benefited polling stations favorable to Lula

Breitbart wrote that Lula "is a convicted felon" freed to run on a technicality, and called Zanin's order an "unprecedented, single-justice ruling." It centered the extension and the arrest order for Salvador's transport secretary. Nick Shirley's pre-vote video from Rio cast the race as a right-wing surge.

CBN NewsOct 26

“This country will not accept being anyone’s backyard.”Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil's president-elect, quoted by CBN News · vowing in his victory speech that Brazil will keep defying Trump's pressure and tariffs

“The extension of voting hours is unusual, but for it to invalidate the elections, the candidate would have to prove that it affected voters’ ability to freely express their will.”Joao Pedro Padua, law professor at Fluminense Federal University, quoted by CBN News · judging that Bolsonaro's bid to annul the election has little legal basis

CBN ran the AP account describing Lula as "a vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump," including a Bolsonaro supporter's warning that the country is collapsing.

Al JazeeraOct 26

“The result was confusion over who could still vote, with some Brazilians turned away despite the extension.”Al Jazeera · describing the concrete harm to voters from Zanin's late, partial extension ruling

Al Jazeera wrote that Lula "has pulled off a political comeback that no Brazilian presidential candidate has managed in nearly four decades," and quoted Donald Trump Jr. attacking the extension.

Washington BladeOct 26

“who repeatedly targeted LGBTQ Brazilians and other groups while in office”Washington Blade · describing Jair Bolsonaro, whose son Flávio lost the runoff, as hostile to LGBTQ people

“His son has pledged to pardon him if he becomes the country’s next president.”Washington Blade, quoted by Washington Blade · a Flávio Bolsonaro win would have freed his father, jailed for 27+ years over the coup attempt

The Blade reported the result in brief and pointed readers to the 14 openly LGBTQ members of Congress elected Oct. 4, writing "This number is the highest of any country in the Americas." [381]

USA TodayOct 26

“What we need is a governor at the top – just like President Trump is for our country – a governor for this state who stands strong”Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican candidate for Ohio governor, quoted by USA Today · refusing to pull the ad and casting defiance of pressure as the Trump model of leadership

“Setting aside the efficacy, obviously I think ethically it's just a completely abhorrent thing to run”Liz Mair, Republican strategist, quoted by USA Today · a GOP voice condemning the ad on ethical grounds, showing the backlash is bipartisan

USA Today wrote that Ramaswamy "has taken a page out of President Donald Trump" playbook by doubling down, and asked whether younger Republicans can copy his appeal.

PBS NewsHourOct 26

“The mother said that Amy Acton is a liar, and she's no good”Donald Trump, President, quoted by PBS NewsHour · defending the ad as a credible reference despite the mother's estrangement and the abuse history

“My opponent has chosen to exploit, intentionally, my childhood to save his stumbling campaign, but it's not going to work”Amy Acton, Democratic candidate for Ohio governor, quoted by PBS NewsHour · accusing Ramaswamy of using her childhood abuse as a desperate tactic

The AP story on PBS described Obama "stepping into one of the nation's ugliest midterm fights," and laid out the 1978 custody record beside Trump's defense of the ad. Its earlier story had Trump at his polling place calling the mother the best reference.

The BulwarkOct 26

“It’s a massive bet that voters will believe the mom—despite overwhelming evidence that she is the one lying—and not recoil (as basically much of the top ranks of the Ohio Republican Party have) at the sheer vileness of the attack.”The Bulwark · framing the $4 million buy as a wager that voters will accept an attack even many Ohio Republicans reject

“Not mentioned in the ad: that this woman hasn’t seen Acton in forty-eight years, since she fled Ohio with her husband after he was charged with having raped Acton starting when she was 10 years old.”The Bulwark · stressing that the ad omits the mother's history and the rape charge against her husband

The Bulwark called the spot "a massive bet that voters will believe the mom" despite the court record, and tested it on ten Ohioans who voted for Trump and have soured on him. [179]

World Socialist Web SiteOct 26

“Saturday’s demonstrations revealed where the violence comes from: not from the protesters, but from the government, which mobilised 70,000 police and soldiers across France.”World Socialist Web Site · arguing the government, not demonstrators, is the source of violence

“People who showed up there in groups of two or more were fined without prior warning.”World Socialist Web Site · describing enforcement of the Paris march bans as arbitrary repression of a protected right

The WSWS wrote that the marches showed violence came "not from the protesters, but from the government," and listed strike calls in Belgium and Spain. Counterfire called the turnout "a magnificent response to the vicious repression" and blamed austerity for a 20 percent fall in spending per student.

Washington ExaminerOct 26

“they turn violent because one of the biggest contributors to these protests, and the French authorities admitted this several days ago, is Antifa”Hugo Gurdon, Washington Examiner editorial director · attributing the violence in the French protests to Antifa rather than to the protesters broadly

Examiner editorial director Hugo Gurdon said "one of the biggest contributors to these protests, and the French authorities admitted this several days ago, is Antifa." The one Establishment receipt named organizers, not grievances, as the cause. [192]

CBN NewsOct 26

“What you had was massive immigration, oftentimes bringing in people who had no interest in their the culture or the history of France.”Dr. Erwin Lutzer, pastor and author, quoted by CBN News · blaming immigration and generous welfare spending for the unrest in France

the CBN host said, before guest Erwin Lutzer blamed socialism and migration. [306]

All-In PodcastOct 26

Chamath Palihapitiya said the French "are living in a state that is spending more than any communist utopia that they hoped to achieve," and called for bond markets to "break the back of the French government." [417]