BLOCK THAT VOTE: The Trump administration made the highly unusual request to a federal court to block certification of the Alaska Senate election if Republican incumbent Dan S. Sullivan loses by a narrow margin. The Justice Department filing set off alarm bells over whether President Trump and his administration will accept the results of November elections.

  Trump later admitted that the filing came at his own direction, demonstrating that the Justice department has lost its traditional independence from the White House. Arriving in Florida Trump told reporters, “I’m the one who said do it.” For months he’s been talking about trying to exert federal control over...

  The President is upset because the Alaska ballot includes a second Dan Sullivan, Daniel J. Sullivan, also a Republican, who the Justice Department claims is running to confuse and split the vote for Daniel S., although the line for Dan S. Sullivan says that he is the incumbent.