Trump Wants Charges Over Alaska's Second 'Dan Sullivan'; Backs Hegseth as a 'Great Warrior'; Tells Reuters Reporter 'You Look Like Hell'

President Donald Trump called for criminal charges in Alaska’s Senate race after The New York Times reported that operatives aligned with Democrat Mary Peltola recruited a second candidate named Dan Sullivan to run against Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. “I think they should be prosecuted,” Trump said Wednesday about Peltola and the other Sullivan, the Associated Press reported [1].

“I don’t think Mary Peltola, after perpetrating such a terrible scheme, should be allowed to run, because this is ELECTION FRAUD,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The Democrats cheated!” [2]

The video above shows four moments from Oct. 28-29, 2026: Trump on a Reuters reporter’s question about his health, on the Democrats’ push to impeach War Secretary Pete Hegseth, on Brazil’s Flávio Bolsonaro, and on the Alaska race. Quotes are from the Associated Press, CBS News, Alaska Public Media, Fox News, KTXS, the Hindustan Times, Yahoo News and the Buenos Aires Times [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8].

”A Ballot Composition” Project

“The New York Times on Wednesday published a story substantiating what Republicans and the campaign of Alaska U.S. Sen. Dan S. Sullivan have alleged for months: The other candidate on the ballot named Dan Sullivan was recruited by operatives aligned with Democratic challenger Mary Peltola,” Alaska Public Media reported [3].

“The newspaper obtained text messages between members of Peltola’s campaign discussing recruiting other people with the same name as the two-term Republican,” the AP reported. “They eventually landed on a retired schoolteacher in the small fishing community of Petersburg named Dan J. Sullivan.” [1]

“The point was to dilute Republican support and advantage Peltola, according to the Times story,” Alaska Public Media reported [3].

“Alaskan voters need to know,” fired Peltola campaign manager Elisa Rios told the Times [3].

Republicans had flagged the second Sullivan months earlier. In May, the National Republican Senatorial Committee demanded the state keep “Sham Candidate Sullivan off the ballot,” Fox News reported [4].

A top state elections official ruled that his declaration of candidacy was filed “with a purpose to confuse or mislead and to thereby compromise the ballot’s fairness or neutrality,” the AP reported. “The case went to the Alaska Supreme Court, which ruled he was qualified to run.” [1]

“Strikes at the Integrity of Our Elections”

Alaska’s Republican governor, Mike Dunleavy, ordered the state Department of Public Safety to “investigate whether this scheme violated Alaska’s laws and whether criminal charges or civil action are warranted,” CBS News reported [2].

“Alaskans have a fundamental right to vote for the candidate they actually intend to support,” Dunleavy wrote. “Deliberately tricking voters into casting their ballots for someone else strikes at the integrity of our elections.” [2]

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said Alaskans “deserve the honest truth from Mary and her campaign — what has been revealed is a pattern of lies and coverups and a culture of deception that belongs nowhere in our elections or among our elected officials,” the AP reported [1].

“It’s a dirty campaign trick, and it’s good reason the Alaska Supreme Court should have permitted the candidate to have been removed from the ballot,” said Derek Muller, a Notre Dame law professor [1].

Peltola and the Democrats deny it. Peltola told supporters she “knew nothing about” the other Sullivan, CBS News reported [2]. “The Alaskans for Mary campaign has no involvement with either Sullivan campaign,” her campaign said [3]. “The DSCC is not involved with Dan J. Sullivan,” the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said [1].

”Way Out of Shape”

On Thursday, a reporter asked whether Trump had dropped a weekend rally in Kansas because of his health, KTXS reported [5]. “I’m with Reuters, sir,” the reporter said when Trump asked where he worked [5].

“You are a sick guy. Reuters is terrible, by the way,” Trump said. “Look at this guy. He’s way out of shape.” [5]

Trump told the reporter to “put yourself in shape,” adding: “You look like hell.” [5]

The reporter was Jacob Bogage, a Reuters White House correspondent, the Hindustan Times reported. “The video of the interaction was even put up by the official X handle of Trump’s White House Rapid Response team,” the paper reported [6].

Trump said he felt “perfect” and did not need to go to Kansas because Republican Sen. Roger Marshall was “doing very well,” KTXS reported. “The White House said he would take part in more than 20 tele-rallies before Election Day, allowing him to connect with voters in multiple states.” [5]

“He’s a Great Warrior”

Asked about Democrats’ talk of impeaching Hegseth if they win the House, Trump said: “I think it’s terrible.” He added: “All they do is they talk about impeaching everybody.” [7]

“I mean, honestly, if we wanted to play that game, we could play it just as well,” Trump said [7].

“He’s doing a great job. He’s a great warrior. I think he’s the best at his job in many, many years, and a lot of people agree with that,” Trump said of Hegseth [7].

“In April, House Democrats filed six articles of impeachment against Hegseth, accusing him of ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ related to the war and the boat strikes,” Yahoo News reported [7].

”We Gave Him a Pass”

On Wednesday, Trump also spoke about Brazil’s defeated presidential candidate, who flew to Florida after losing to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva [8].

“I know that we gave him a pass to come into the country, so we’ll see,” Trump told reporters. “But I won’t get involved. It was a very strange election, that’s for sure.” [8]

By the Numbers

4: candidates on Alaska’s ranked-choice Senate ballot, including both Dan Sullivans [2].
46,204: ballots already cast in Alaska as of Monday, per the AP [1].
20+: tele-rallies Trump planned before Election Day, per the White House [5].
6: articles of impeachment House Democrats filed against Hegseth in April [7].

What’s Next

Alaskans finish voting Nov. 3. The second Sullivan “is one of four candidates on the ranked vote ballot for next Tuesday’s general election,” the AP reported [1].

The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit, at Trump’s direction, that “seeks to halt certification of a possible Peltola win, citing the presence of the second Dan Sullivan on the ballot,” the AP reported [1].

For Trump approving of Bolsonaro’s arrival the day before, see HYGO News’ page on Bolsonaro and Bessent. For Trump’s earlier rally in Perry, Georgia, see the page on Ilhan Omar, Cuba and Iran.