Friday, 23 October 2026

Trump administration sued Alaska election officials to block certification of Senate race results if GOP incumbent Dan Sullivan loses, claiming voter confusion from two candidates named Dan Sullivan could taint the election. Trump stated he ordered the Department of Justice to file the lawsuit.

Trump administration sued California to invalidate or delay certification of approximately 20,000 mail-in ballots allegedly sent to non-citizens, filing an 'emergency' motion with appeals court despite a judge previously ruling the DOJ demand for voter data 'illegal.' Legal experts criticized the move as 'bad faith' and 'unprecedented.'

A federal judge ordered Trump to sit for a deposition in a $10 billion BBC defamation case brought by the president, warning he could face sanctions including dismissal of his lawsuit if he fails to cooperate with questioning.

Trump backed a controversial campaign advertisement by Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy attacking Democratic opponent Amy Acton, featuring remarks from Acton's estranged mother about her childhood. The ad appeared to dispute Acton's account of childhood sexual abuse, drawing criticism from Republicans and legal experts.

White House announced that Melania Trump brokered a localized ceasefire in Oleshky, a Russian-occupied Ukrainian city facing severe humanitarian crisis. Ukraine and Russia neither immediately confirmed the agreement, and President Trump stated Musk had restored Starlink access to Ukraine at his request.

DOJ charged two former FBI officials involved in 2020 election work with lying to Congress, intensifying the administration's effort to prosecute law enforcement figures who disputed unsubstantiated claims about Joe Biden's Ukraine dealings. Critics and defense lawyers accused the DOJ of a politically motivated 'witch hunt' ahead of the midterms.

Justice Department opened an investigation into former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski for allegedly using his DHS role for financial gain, marking a rare move by the administration against a Trump ally. Reports indicated Trump has not rushed to his defense.

Trump administration canceled tariffs on some Canadian goods ahead of the midterms, with GOP Senator Susan Collins crediting White House negotiations for the move. Collins faces a tight re-election battle in Maine where voters have been outraged by the trade war.

First Russian diesel tanker carrying fuel set sail for the United States following Trump's deal with Putin to release more fuel into the global market, marking the first shipment since the agreement.

Minnesota officials reported that the federal government stopped sharing evidence with state investigators probing the fatal ICE shootings of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti, halting state investigation cooperation.

Trump administration invoked the Defense Production Act to allocate $150 million toward boosting domestic gas and diesel production as the White House seeks to ease consumer fuel prices amid the Iran war's impact on global oil markets.