--- title: "Blanche: DOJ could intervene in election certification 'doomsday' scenarios" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/blanche-doj-could-intervene-in-election-certification-doomsday-scenarios" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/blanche-doj-could-intervene-in-election-certification-doomsday-scenarios" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/blanche-doj-could-intervene-in-election-certification-doomsday-scenarios.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/blanche-doj-could-intervene-in-election-certification-doomsday-scenarios" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-22T21:45:38.938Z" source_reported: "2026-10-22T21:25:46.000Z" updated: "2026-10-22T21:45:38.938Z" trust_score: 50 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-22T21:45:16.993078+00:00" --- # Blanche: DOJ could intervene in election certification 'doomsday' scenarios *Attorney General Todd Blanche suggested the Justice Department might act to stop states certifying results.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 50 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to named body, but relies on anonymous sourcing and lacks specific dates/locations. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. Quotes affected parties and separates fact from comment, but lacks detail on what happens next. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headline promises more than the body delivers, with mild sensationalism. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that scenarios exist where the Justice Department could intervene to stop states from certifying election results. - Blanche described these hypothetical situations as 'doomsday' scenarios but insisted it is not the department's intention to interfere improperly in elections. - David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election and Innovation Research, stated that the Justice Department has no authority over election certification and courts would likely block any federal intervention. - The Justice Department has been investigating alleged voter fraud, including door-to-door searches and prosecutions. Attorney General Todd Blanche has indicated that the Justice Department could potentially intervene to prevent states from certifying election results under certain circumstances. Speaking to reporters, Blanche referred to these hypothetical situations as 'doomsday' scenarios. He clarified that while it is not the Justice Department's intention to improperly interfere with elections or the certification process, he would not rule out the possibility of intervention in extreme cases. Blanche added that he was not planning his days around election certification. These remarks come as the Justice Department has been increasing its investigations into alleged voter fraud. These efforts have included door-to-door searches for noncitizen voters and prosecutions. The department has also reportedly considered further election-related litigation against states, following previous legal losses concerning access to voter data and a Supreme Court decision rejecting a plan to change mail-in voting. ## Disagreement on DOJ authority David Becker, executive director of the nonpartisan Center for Election and Innovation Research, stated that the Justice Department lacks authority over the election certification process. Becker told reporters that courts would likely block any attempt by the federal government to intervene. He described such potential interference as 'performative' and noted that the department does not possess the power to do so. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated digests mention the Justice Department's investigations into alleged voter fraud, including door-to-door searches and prosecutions. The centre-rated digest also does not mention these investigations. ## Who covered it Shares of the 9 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 67% (6) - Centre: 22% (2) - Right: 11% (1) 1 of 10 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-22T21:45:16.993078+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 1 time; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-22T22:00:32.333Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Six left-rated reports led on Attorney General Todd Blanche's comments about the possibility of the Justice Department intervening in election certification. The Independent, NBC News, and Raw Story highlighted Blanche's use of the term 'doomsday' scenario. Raw Story also noted Blanche's statement that the DOJ did not have independence from President Donald Trump's demands. The Independent's full report also detailed related actions by the Department of Homeland Security, including a federal judge blocking field operations intended to uncover voter fraud and targeting of voter engagement nonprofits. ### Centre - The single centre-rated report from INTELLINEWS focused on Attorney General Todd Blanche failing to rule out the Department of Justice weighing in on the states' election results certifying process. The report included a quote from Blanche stating, 'there’s scenarios we could all come up with' when asked if the DOJ would intercede. ### Right - The single right-rated report from dailymail.com highlighted that Trump's Attorney General Todd Blanche would not rule out a move to block states from certifying midterm votes. The digest stated that Blanche's remarks came as the Trump administration has moved to crack down on illegal noncitizen voting, despite evidence that such incidents are rare. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 5 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [dailymail.com](https://dailymail.com/news/us-politics/article-16231273/Trump-DOJ-Todd-Blanche-midterm-election-certification.html) — Trump AG won't rule out move to block states certifying midterm votes - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/todd-blanche-doj-election-results-midterms-b3071798.html) — Todd Blanche won’t rule out DOJ action to stall midterm election results - [The Independent (US)](https://the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/todd-blanche-doj-election-results-midterms-b3071798.html) — Todd Blanche won’t rule out DOJ action to stall midterm election results - [Bloomberg](https://bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-10-22/blanche-says-more-states-could-face-doj-suits-over-elections) — Blanche Says More States Could Face DOJ Suits Over Elections - [INTELLINEWS](https://intelli.news/2026/10/22/todd-blanche-fails-to-rule-out-doj-weighing-in-on-states-election-results-certifying-process-us-politics-live) — Todd Blanche fails to rule out DoJ weighing in on states’ election results certifying process – US politics live - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/4ab01fd980d10f86) — AG Blanche: 'Never DOJ's INTENTION to improperly interfere with elections' - [Joe.My.God.](https://joemygod.com/2026/10/blanche-wont-rule-out-blocking-vote-certifications) — Blanche Won’t Rule Out Blocking Vote Certifications - [NBC News](https://nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/blanche-wont-rule-doj-post-election-action-doomsday-scenario-rcna605035) — Blanche won’t rule out DOJ post-election action in a ‘doomsday’ scenario - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/todd-blanche-block-election-certification) — Todd Blanche: 'Of course' DOJ would block states from certifying elections in some cases - [The New Republic](https://newrepublic.com/post/216978/todd-blanche-trump-election-interference) — Todd Blanche Floats Chilling Likelihood of Trump Election Interference ## Questions **Could the Justice Department stop states from certifying election results?** Attorney General Todd Blanche has not ruled out the possibility, describing hypothetical 'doomsday' scenarios where the DOJ might intervene. However, David Becker stated the DOJ has no authority over certification and courts would likely block such actions. **What is the Justice Department investigating?** The Justice Department has been investigating alleged voter fraud. These investigations have included door-to-door searches for noncitizen voters and prosecutions. The department has also reportedly considered further election-related litigation. **What is David Becker's view on DOJ intervention?** David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election and Innovation Research, stated that the Justice Department has no authority over the election certification process. He believes courts would likely block any federal intervention attempts. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/blanche-doj-could-intervene-in-election-certification-doomsday-scenarios. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Blanche: DOJ could intervene in election certification 'doomsday' scenarios", https://mediabias.news/politics/blanche-doj-could-intervene-in-election-certification-doomsday-scenarios