A lawsuit by the Justice Department challenging a potential narrow loss by the GOP Senate incumbent in Alaska reflects a new tactic by the president to try to shape the election results.
The 44th president sharply criticized Mr. Trump, who hit back later in the day. Mr. Obama also assailed Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for governor of Ohio.
With moves in Alaska and California, the department has stepped up interventions in the midterm elections as the presidentβs instrument of unmediated executive power.
President Trump during a campaign rally in support of Senator Dan S. Sullivan in Wasilla, Alaska, this month. Mr. Trump urged the Justice Dept. to intervene in the Senate race.
No obvious legal authority supports a pre-emptive effort to block the certification of Alaskaβs Senate election if the Republican incumbent narrowly loses.
The loss of Susan Collinsβs seat could tip the Senate in favor of Democrats, upending President Trumpβs legislative agenda for the rest of his term.
The charges intensified the administrationβs efforts to go after the law enforcement and intelligence personnel who cast doubt on unsubstantiated claims that Joseph R. Biden Jr. engaged in corrupt dealings in Ukraine.
Senators have warned the White House they will withhold confirmation votes until the administration ensures the restoration of communications capabilities used by Ukraineβs military.
Representative Brian Fitzpatrick, Republican of Pennsylvania and a former F.B.I. agent who worked on Russian counterintelligence in Kyiv, said he doubted the communication problems were accidental.
One of the most closely watched Senate races in the country is unfolding in Maine, where five-term Republican Susan Collins faces a tough challenge from Democrat Troy Jackson, a former logger and state legislator. The race is rated a toss-up, with both parties fighting for a seat that could determine control of the Senate. Lisa Desjardins reports from Maine.
The answer, delivered during a debate with Democratic challenger Adam Hamilton, aligned Marshall with President Donald Trump's freshly antagonistic posture toward Ukraine, which has spent more than four years defending itself against an invasion.
On Thursday, Hinson will join President Donald Trump for a rally in Sioux City, which is in Iowa's conservative northwest corner. The visit to safe territory is geared toward boosting turnout even as it ties her more tightly to an unpopular president.
At a rally in Kansas on Monday, President Trump looked to boost Republican Sen. Roger Marshall in his reelection bid. Marshall faces a surprisingly close race with his Democratic challenger, Pastor Adam Hamilton. William Brangham discusses the Senate race with Jared Cerullo of PBS Kansas, the host of the weekly current affairs show, "Kansas Week."
Alaska could play a pivotal role in Democrats' efforts to reclaim control of the Senate. In a debate, Republican incumbent Sen. Dan Sullivan faced questions about rising fuel costs driven by the war with Iran and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola pushed back against allegations that she mistreated staff members. Geoff Bennett discussed the race with Lori Townsend of Alaska Public Media.
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