USAupdated 27m ago2 min read
Trump Rallies in Wasilla, Alaska for Senator Dan Sullivan Ahead of November 3 Midterms
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Trump travels to Wasilla to campaign for Senate candidate Dan Sullivan. Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola in a historically Republican seat.
15 outlets told this the same way.
Alaska rally, tight race
President Donald Trump traveled to Wasilla, Alaska, to rally for Senator Dan Sullivan ahead of the midterm elections on November 3, as the Senate race has tightened against Democrat Mary Peltola. Trump told reporters as he left the White House, "I would only do it if I thought he was good," and he added, "And he's very good." Trump headlined the rally in Wasilla, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Anchorage, as the state has not backed a Democrat for Senate in nearly 20 years.
Ivan Moore said he has seen a decline in Trump's support statewide that mirrors the president's falling approval ratings nationally, and he said the Senate race may be decided by Trump 2024 voters who are now unsure they still back him. The rally followed Trump’s Western swing that included stops in Arizona and Montana on Wednesday, with the Wasilla event part of a push to bolster Sullivan as Democrats seek a GOP upset.
Pardons and policy promises
Trump announced pardons for Zachary Czuback and Patrick Fleming during the Wasilla rally, after both men pleaded guilty in 2022 to violating the Clean Air Act by manipulating devices that monitored diesel emissions from vehicles. Trump also said the Federal Communications Commission would vote to allocate $162 million to extend connectivity in Alaska, and he framed the broadband effort as part of his administration’s work for the state. Trump told the crowd that "Taiwan has just agreed to buy 30% of the gas coming off the pipeline for the next 20 years," and he said the deal "guarantees success."
The rally included Trump’s attacks on Democrats and his push against ranked-choice voting in Alaska, which he called a "Democratic scam." The Associated Press reported that Trump wrapped up the event after nearly 90 minutes, and it noted that Trump’s remarks included his usual rally fare and the pardons.
OSCE observer dispute
The OSCE confirmed that the United States had not invited it to observe the 2026 midterm congressional elections, and the organization said the decision was "regrettable" given its long-standing cooperation with the country. The OSCE said the 2026 midterms marked the first time it was not invited to observe a federal U.S. election since the group first began observing elections in the United States in 2002. The OSCE explained that its goal in observing elections is to "assess the extent to which fundamental freedoms are respected" and whether elections are characterized by equality, universality, political pluralism, confidence, transparency and accountability.
“American elections will be administered, participated in, and observed by American citizens.”
A White House official told Snopes via email that "no other nation has done more to advance the cause of human freedom and representative government" than the United States, and the official added that "American elections will be administered, participated in, and observed by American citizens." Snopes reported that the White House did not deny that it had declined an invite to OSCE observers and provided no explanation for departing from decades of precedent.