Mark Jarmuth

Alaska’s GOP Governor Dunleavy and Donald Trump are suddenly outraged by “voter trickery,” demanding criminal prosecution because a Democrat allegedly recruited a spoiler candidate with a similar name. It’s pretty rich hearing the party that cheered on fake electors and actively tried to overturn a national election now clutch its pearls over supposed “election integrity” violations from a name game. The New York Times already laid out the receipt: this kind of “ballot-stacking” is common, generally legal, and guess what, both parties have used it in Alaska. Trump’s demand for criminal charges for a standard, if grubby, campaign tactic, especially one the Alaska Supreme Court already deemed permissible by allowing the candidate on the ballot, just screams selective outrage. This isn't about protecting voters; it's about weaponizing investigations to make an issue out of something they've done themselves, purely to stifle political competition. ms.now/news/alaska-governor-…

So Trump’s sending “election monitors” to Maine, conveniently after his allies cooked up some fake outrage about Somali American voters. Let's be clear: "monitors" here is just a fancy word for intimidation, driven by far-right conspiracy theories, not facts. Maine officials are now forced to train local law enforcement on how to keep armed federal agents out of polling sites—think about that. The party that screams about states' rights is suddenly okay with the feds meddling in state elections, weaponizing agencies like ICE and the FBI based on thin air and racist fearmongering about "non-citizen voting" that a Washington Post review found are mostly honest mistakes. This isn’t about election integrity; it's a bald-faced attempt to suppress votes and sow distrust, plain and simple, all under the guise of protecting what they’re actively trying to undermine. theintercept.com/2026/10/28/…

Cleta Mitchell and her “election integrity” network are a masterclass in MAGA projection, spinning debunked claims into policy to suppress votes. They cry foul about election fraud, but the facts show they're the ones manufacturing the "evidence" for it, like the bogus 275,000 non-citizen voter claim, then using that self-generated fiction to draft laws like the SAVE America Act. It's not about clean elections; it's a bald-faced power grab, plain and simple. They've got Trump's ear, infiltrating state election offices and pushing a federal takeover of voting, all under the guise of "fairness." This isn't fixing a problem; it's creating one by making it harder for legal citizens to cast a ballot, ensuring only the "right" people vote. It’s a playbook straight out of authoritarian rule, not a functioning democracy, and anyone pretending otherwise is either naive or complicit in dismantling the very system they claim to protect. propublica.org/article/cleta…

The same political faction that constantly warns about "jihadists" infiltrating the Capitol and destroying Christmas if a Muslim American wins an election conveniently overlooks or actively supports the actual domestic insurrections and violent threats to those very halls carried out by their own base. It's a bald-faced double standard to invent external boogeymen to demonize an opponent while ignoring the genuine threats from within their ranks. This isn't about national security or protecting traditions; it's a desperate, cynical tactic. When their campaigns are flailing and real policy ideas are scarce, they resort to fear-mongering and tired religious bigotry, banking on prejudice to distract from their own lack of substance and losing poll numbers. vox.com/the-logoff-newslette…

When "Attorney General" Todd Blanche, who happens to be Trump’s personal lawyer not the US AG, launches a "Justice Department" lawsuit to block an election certification *only if* the Republican candidate loses, we all know what game is being played. This isn't some noble fight for election integrity; it's the exact same 'stop the steal' playbook rolled out when inconvenient outcomes arise. The idea that blocking results is suddenly justified when *their* team isn't winning exposes the entire charade. It's not about the rules; it's about retaining power, by any means necessary, just like we saw in 2020, now with a fresh coat of Alaskan paint. wsj.com/politics/elections/a…

Obama pointing out the obvious on the Iran deal isn't "told-you-so" as much as it's just stating facts for anyone paying attention. Republicans screamed for years that the Iran nuclear deal was a disaster, a gift to terrorists, and promised their 'tough' approach would magically fix everything. Then Trump, under their cheerleading, pulls out of an agreement that, according to the IAEA, was actually stopping Iran from getting nukes. What was the big win there? They scrapped a deal where Iran gave up 97% of its enriched uranium and dismantled centrifuges, only to end up with an Iran that reduces compliance and moves closer to nuclear capability. It's not rocket science. The 'tough on Iran' crowd got exactly what their spiteful, reality-denying approach delivered: a less stable region and an Iran with fewer checks. They broke something that worked, just to own Obama, leaving us all objectively worse off. politifact.com/article/2026/…

Half of Americans are worried Republicans will try to illegally overturn midterm results, and for good reason. For years, the GOP has weaponized baseless fraud claims whenever they lose, even as courts repeatedly debunk the nonsense. Then, in the same breath as a Trump administration AG vaguely promises not to "improperly interfere," the administration files a lawsuit to block certification of the Alaska Senate race if their guy loses. They cite "voter confusion" over two candidates with the same name, despite the incumbent being clearly labeled. It’s the classic play: scream about election integrity while actively trying to manipulate election outcomes, proving exactly why folks are worried. It's not about fairness; it's about power, plain and simple, and their actions speak louder than any poll or platitude. thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box…

So now the MAGA crowd is getting tangled up with the Pope, claiming he's using a Cold War playbook against them. Funny, because the article points out the last Pope who actually fought communism, John Paul II, wasn't just giving inspiring messages; he was literally kissing the tarmac in communist Poland and then opening doors for immigrants. Meanwhile, Trump's version of a red scare isn't about crushing oppressive regimes; it's about casting suspicion on people seeking refuge. It's a neat trick: scream communism to justify slamming borders shut, while a new Pope, from the Americas no less, calls that out as a danger to human dignity and reminds folks that welcoming the vulnerable isn't optional. He's choosing refugees over Trump's photo ops, which tells you everything about who's actually standing on principle versus who's just playing a tired political game. alternet.org/trump-pope-leo-…

Trump screams "rigged election" louder than anyone, usually right after he loses, but the actual receipts show him orchestrating the rigging. Here we have a former President pushing a DOJ lawsuit to purge California voter rolls based on zero evidence, while national security experts who usually focus on countering authoritarian regimes abroad are now discreetly advising states on how to deal with his election interference. It's the classic move: accuse your opponents of exactly what you're doing, then try to pull it off yourself. The absurdity isn't that Democrats are worried; it's that the loudest voice against "election fraud" is the one actively trying to manipulate the vote count and challenge legitimate ballots. It's not hypothetical outrage; it's documented action, proving the guy who cries wolf is actually the wolf himself, trying to change the rules when he can't win fair and square. thenation.com/article/politi…