Full transcript: Todd Blanche faces questions over Alaska election action

Election outlook and broadcast agenda

Margaret Brennan opened by describing competing messages from former President Barack Obama and President Trump in battleground states. The program also listed CBS News elections and surveys executive director Anthony Salvanto.

With nine days remaining before the final voting day, the CBS News Battleground Tracker projected Democrats could take the House with 229 seats, while the Senate was a toss-up. The broadcast planned discussions with Attorney General Todd Blanche and lawmakers Jason Crow and Thom Tillis.

Blanche disputes Brennan’s account

Brennan asked Blanche about election-related Justice Department actions and raised the Alaska ballot dispute. She cited President Trump’s statement that he had directed the action and described the ballot’s listing of Dan S. Sullivan as the incumbent.

Blanche said Brennan’s account was misleading and rejected the idea that two Dan Sullivans were running as an incumbent and a challenger. He said the Justice Department had examined the matter for months and that the Alaska election system’s director believed the ballot could cause confusion.

Alaska ballot remains central

Brennan pointed to an Alaska Supreme Court ruling that upheld lower-court decisions, including a finding that claims of voter confusion were not supported by a preponderance of evidence. Blanche responded that the ruling concerned state law. Brennan noted that ballots had already been sent and that Alaska has substantial mail-in voting. She ended by asking whom President Trump had told to take the action after saying, “I’m the one that said do it.”