Enten unpacks Dems' Senate chances amid Alaska controversy

The breaking news, the Justice Department  dramatically are ramping up a criminal probe. into Alaska Democrats. This comes after Democrats  there allegedly recruited a Senate candidate with. the same name as the Republican incumbent. That's  Dan Sullivan. All in an effort to well confuse the. waters. Harry Anton is out front at the magic.  Well, Harry, this Senate race in Alaska, yes, prior to this was was obviously polling very  close. Alaska is a tough market to pull, but um. it was polling close. Uh, so if this backfires  on Democrats, if they lose because of this,

what does that mean in terms of taking control  of the Senate? Yeah, you know, you mentioned. what the polling looked like. It was close, but  look, Mary Pollah was in the position to be the. first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Alaska in  a midterm election since all the way back in 1974. Mike Grall, some of our younger viewers probably  remember, he ran for president in 2008 and then a. little bit in 2020. So, you know, if you take  Alaska and you turn it blue, right? If the if. that had matched the polling before this week,  then Democrats only need to win in Maine, right, which obviously voted for Kla Harris. You win in  Ohio where Sherid Brown obviously has been polling.

quite well and of course had been a senator who  was elected Trump's first midterm election. And. Texas where all of a sudden, you know, we saw that  poll today that had James up six and you got it, you get to 51 seats. Then all of a sudden if you  turn Alaska red, well then of course you fall back. to 50 seats. So Alaska is one of those paths that  Democrats were really counting on. All right. So, but it's not their only path. It is not their only  path. You know, another poll that came out today.

that to me really does tell a story. Hello. Okay.  This is a choice for Michigan Senate. You know, Abdul Elsad, I think a lot of people nationally  have been critiquing his campaign, but you know. what? He's actually been gaining ground. Look, in  August, Mike Rogers in a Fox News poll was up by. four points. Today we had Elsa up by seven points.  That is a tremendous change. A lot of momentum on. Elsa's side. And I will note that all of a sudden,  you know, you could essentially turn Michigan blue. and there you go. You get back up to 51 seats that  way. So I think Michigan's a real example of the.

actual facts on the ground don't necessarily the  perception that we sometimes hear in the media. Right. Right. And you know, and we'll see.  We'll see if the polls are right everywhere, if they're right some places and not others.  And and and what all this what all this means. Okay. Tell me something. I don't know. Harry, I  will tell you something you don't know. You we. were just talking about Michigan, right? Well,  one thing that I think could be very good for. Democrats is Donald John Trump. His net approval  rating in our CNN poll. Look at this. It was 33. points underwater. What does that make Donald  Trump the most unpopular president in Michigan.

going into a midterm election going back at  least 35 years? It might be longer than that. It might be upwards of 50 years. So, if we do see  Democrats doing well across the map, like in what. we see in the polling in Michigan, I think this  will be the number one reason why a historically. unpopular president and Donald Trump. Interesting.  And that maybe that's some of the context for why. he's cancing those visits to Iowa and Kansas where  we started the show. We will bring it all full. circle. Wonderful to see you, Harry, and thanks  so much, of course, as always. All right. Is it. just a dirty trick or is it actually illegal?  A bitter battle is brewing in Alaska. Several.

investigations are underway this morning after  a New York Times report alleged that Democrats. aligned with Mary Pelah's campaign recruited  a candidate with the same name as her opponent. uh opponent and incumbent Dan Sullivan. Now  Trump's justice department has now accelerated its. investigation into the reported scheme, issuing  more than 40 subpoenas. Alaska's governor is also. investigating to see if the plot violated state  laws and whether it warrants criminal charges.

This is voter fraud at the highest level and the  Democrat candidate who was involved in the scheme, Mary Pelto, should be removed from the ballot and  prosecuted and so should the fake Dan Sullivan. I. think it's a criminal act what they did cuz it  was a conspiracy. It wasn't just it didn't just. happen. Well, I think we should certainly look  into whether she committed election fraud. She. is trying to steal a Senate seat from the voters  of Alaska and it's disgraceful. So whether it's.

criminal or not, she certainly has committed, I  think, a great moral failing and hopefully the. voters of Alaska punish her. All right, joining  the group chat, CNN legal analyst and former. federal prosecutor Elliot Williams. I noticed  the vice president parsing a bit. Making some. distinctions there whether it's illegal or not. So  what does he know that we should know? JD Vance of. Yale Law School is not a dummy and he knows what  he's talking about here and he really hit it on. the head. Did Mary Pilo commit a moral failing?  And will the voters of Alaska punish her? If there.

is a remedy here based on what we see right now,  Audi, it's a political one, not a legal one. It's. it's not a crime, and this is a weird thing to  say. It's not a crime to be a dirty politician or. to play tricks on voters or even to lie to voters.  The First Amendment actually protects that. And I. think what you're seeing here is the sort of  tactic that maybe doesn't sit well with many. voters, but really, at least as more questions. So  Chuck Schumer said leader Schumer had no knowledge.

of the activities described in the New York  Times report was not involved in any way. That's. a spokesperson for their office. The New York  Times article was talking about this fixer oper. operative type going around flying around trying  to lure people into the race. Would this story. be a one about campaign fraud if they had paid the  person to be on the ballot? So to the extent there. is criminality here and again not from where  I sit right now but if there is it would be.

over statements that are made to law enforcement  statements that were made in court there was prior. litigation over this and if someone is saying an  inconsistent statement great example in that New. York Times report there's a Mary Pelola staffer  I don't want to throw anybody under the bus. here but who gave a statement tried to retract  the statement maybe law enforcement will talk. to that person if there's inconsistencies  in what that individual said then may and. particularly again it would be about lying in  the course of the investigation not the act. itself putting someone on the ballot what the  non- lawyers call process crimes I hate that.

term but it's sort of the the crimes that are  the thing beyond the thing but not the actual. you know campaign trickery itself it's just one  last thing other people will have questions the. DOJ being involved okay so they're bringing  a lawsuit I don't know what their standing is. I've only watched a couple episodes of Matlock  recently like I don't understand. I understand. the governor. I want to know what's going on with  that governor investigation and the AG there. What. can the Justice Department say that would allow  them to march into Alaska with their subpoenas? I.

think by watching a couple episodes of Matt Watts,  you know pretty much everything you need to know. right here, which is that the Justice Department  really doesn't have much standing or basis here. There isn't a lot of federal involvement. It's  not like election interference or something. If. if the voter Here's the interesting thing. If the  voters of Alaska's civil rights were violated in. some way, the Justice Department would have a  cause here. But the thing is, they're hinging. it on the victory of Senator Dan Sullivan.  If there's actually a civil rights problem,

it doesn't matter who wins because if I see. So,  the fact that they're saying they'll only do it if. Pelah wins to you means the investigation is not  It's a junk lawsuit that's that's likely going to. be dismissed. I think junk is legal fighting. I  know. Hey, man. I mean, I I chose violence today. Is it my understanding that the statute that  the DOJ is claiming it doesn't even cover ballot. administration? Is that right? Right. I mean, I  just think they are trying to fit in effect square. con a square conduct into a round statute and and  there really isn't anything here, at least based.

on what we've seen thus far that would seem to  indicate that that they'd have a But is there is. there is there is the real goal here whether  or not it's the goal of the DOJ. Uh is that. making the punishment right the the process of  going through all this? What what does this look. like in terms of mucking up the actual counting  of votes and the certification that seems to be. the DOJ could do something. That's the thing.  They could they can well the state can slow down. the certification. They have a really hard time  not seating her or not or not certifying her. So, number one. Number two, the Senate back here can  vote to not seat her, but then they'd be inviting.

a year of litigation over an a vacant Senate  seat. Moreover, you'd be asking every senator. to cast a vote on this, including Lisa Marowski  from Alaska, asking her to not seat the colleague. from her state and have Alaskans, many of whom  who did choose to vote for Mary Pela, not have. someone in that role. Okay. Um, as the governor  called this a dog's breakfast, a mess. So the.

governor there now suggesting that the state could  withhold certification if Democrat Mary Pelah wins. because her campaign is under investigation.  Republicans are looking into allegations. that Democrats recruited a candidate with the  same name as the GOP incumbent Dan Sullivan. If we conclude that there was mis uh mis there  were things that should not have happened, let me. put it that way, that are illegal, we will act on  that and that may in fact impact whether somebody.

is seated in this US Senate. We're going to ensure  that we aren't going to send a scam to Washington. Voter turnout in Alaska is nearing a record  with one in 10 Alaskans already having cast. their vote. CNN spoke with several voters about  whether this new report impact their choice. It. was a real unforced error by uh Mary Pela's  campaign. I mean, did it impact who you're.

going to vote for? No, it doesn't. And I I think a  lot of Alaskans, we're we're a a gnarly pin bunch, so we we do what we do. You can't hurt us. We're a  bunch of goats. Did it impact your vote at all? Um. the latest news? Yep. Not a bit. Can you tell  the Can you Can you tell who's who here? Oh, absolutely. Yeah. You got Daniel J. Sullivan Jr.  and then you have Sullivan Dan who's a registered.

Republican and incumbent. It's And I don't even  have my glasses on. It's pretty clear. It's in. black and white. It's It's very clear. People  also don't like dirty politics, right? Well, and they never got they never got a say. They  never got a vote. So, you're define dirty. politics however you want. One thing that people  are pointing to right now is what's happening in. Alaska. It's a Senate race, but it speaks to  the type of dirty politics that both parties, both chambers have engaged in over cycles. Do you  like what you're seeing with this two Dan Sullivan. saga that we're watching playing out? You know, uh  the Pelto campaign has denied that. Um what we've.

seen across the country though are Republicans  trying to gerrymander in the House, right? They. knew they were losing. So instead, President Trump  said, "Give me five seats in Texas." They've tried. to gerrymander their way to stay in the majority.  They've tried to change campaign finance laws. They've attacked vote by mail. You continue to see  them try to change voter roles across the country. instead of focusing on winning hearts and minds  of Americans. New York Times has done exhaustive.

reporting on the connections to people that went  to the campaign just in general. Does it bother. you when you see the what looks like shenanigans  happening in anything, but look like look at what. Republicans have been doing across the country  since it's bad for them. Is it bad for Democrats, too? No. This the Pela campaign has denied that  that happened. And but we can't deny what we have. seen happen from Republicans on the ground every  day this cycle. They have been doing everything. they can to rig the system and we've stood up  every way and we've been winning and we're going.

to win in elections where they tried to change the  system because we have great candidates focused on. the issues that matter who are deeply connected  to their communities and who are running to be. representatives to actually fill that title. That  is our title, representative. They're running to. represent their communities. That's why we're  gonna win even in districts that folks never. thought we would have an opportunity in where  Trump won by, you know, o over 10 or 15 points.

One one bit I wanted to ask you about, Maria,  also coming from my conversation with the chair. of the DRIP, Susan Delpen, just now on Alaska.  You've got a lot going on. More moves. Justice. Department accelerating its investigation and  criminal probe after the New York Times reporting. about possible connections between the campaign of  um of uh Pelah and the double Dan Sullivan saga. Susan Oeni though would not denounce dirty  politics as I asked her a couple times about it.

saying that you know the campaign says they deny  any involvement but then she tried to change the. subject to say but look what Republicans do and  pointing to Republican efforts on redistricting. that have been happening across the country kind  of suggesting that that's a better example of. dirty politics and I left the interview thinking  isn't this why dirty politics continues to exist. is parties very rarely call out their own when  it seems that dirty politics are happening. Yeah, you know, I I think you're right. This  is not a great look for any party. And what I.

think that Susan Delbane was was saying is that  it happens on both sides. You might not like it. It's not illegal. If you know the American  people don't want it to happen, then let's. pass some laws that make it illegal. But right  now, it is not illegal. Republicans actually did. it this cycle in Alaska as well. Putting on the  ballot somebody that lived in New York in prison. putting on the ballot somebody that lived on the  ballot. But the person the person's name wasn't.

the person's name wasn't you know it wasn't  Mary Pela. It doesn't Oh, sure it does. Maria, come on. Maria, look. It's easy. Watch this. Watch  this. Maria, it was wrong. David. David. It was. wrong. Just admit it. Listen. When when when  the big round of swallow ran that terrible ad, I denounced it. When Republicans do bad things, I  say it. You can say it. It's easy. David, David, David, David, let me finish. I just said it's not  a great look for either side. But you know what?

It's actually also demonstrates that the this  is what the Justice Department is going after, right? This is what they're focusing on. They  are not trying to help this administration keep. the promises that they made. They are not trying  to make sure that everyone has the right to vote. and has their voice counted. They are not trying  to demonstrate that they are a justice department.

for the entire country and not just for somebody  who lives at 600 p 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This tells me the fact that this is what they're  focused on that the that the president is focused. on that they have nothing else. They have  no closing argument for this election. Well, it is that is kind of voter fraud. That  is kind of that is Maria. That's exactly. what they're trying to do in this case.  We will continue this. She was trying. the system was trying to be rigged. So verbose  discussion in the commercial break. in disguise.