Michigan Democrats' Unity Rally Splits, DOJ Confirms Alaska Ballot Probe, and Trump Flies to Iowa and Kansas on Final Sunday Before Midterms

Since Trump put his Iowa and Kansas rallies back on the schedule Friday, the final weekend before Tuesday's Nov. 3 midterms has produced a Democratic family feud in Michigan, an open criminal investigation in Alaska, and a federal court order restricting the Justice Department's election tactics.

Trump's Sunday schedule

Trump is set to leave Palm Beach today, Nov. 1, for back-to-back rallies, according to the White House. The schedule lists an afternoon event in Dubuque, Iowa, then an evening event in Salina, Kansas. A person familiar with the plans told the Daily Wire the Iowa stop moved to Cedar Rapids and that the Kansas rally is set for 2 p.m. CT at Salina Regional Airport.

Trump told reporters he feels "very good" and that "the country has never done better." He added: "I think we're going to surprise a lot of people."

Both states are Senate battlegrounds this year. Trump won each by double digits in 2024, but farm economies there have been hit by high gasoline, diesel and fertilizer prices tied to the Iran war. In Iowa, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R) faces state Sen. Josh Turek (D). In Kansas, Sen. Roger Marshall (R) faces the Rev. Adam Hamilton (D).

Decision Desk HQ currently gives Democrats an 83 percent chance of winning the House and a 63 percent chance of flipping the Senate. Strategists in both parties told The New York Times that Democrats are in a strong position in the House, while the Senate is a toss-up.

Michigan's unity event comes apart

Democrats had planned a show of unity today at a Detroit church with Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens, whom he narrowly beat in the August primary, were both expected.

That fell apart. The dispute began over a campaign ad that Stevens called antisemitic. El-Sayed accused her of trying to relitigate the primary and asked her to skip his events. An adviser to Clyburn said Stevens was still welcome.

Rep. Debbie Dingell later said the two would no longer campaign together Sunday. Dingell said on CNN Saturday that the fight had become a distraction.

El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers on Tuesday. El-Sayed has been working to shore up support among Black voters, which was a main purpose of the Clyburn appearance.

Alaska: investigation confirmed, no charges

The top federal prosecutor in Alaska confirmed Friday that a criminal investigation exists into an alleged plan to put a second "Dan Sullivan" on the Senate ballot. Justice Department court filings say the department wants to separate ballots that rank Daniel J. Sullivan so it can examine "confusion." Public confirmation of an open criminal probe is highly unusual. No charges have been filed.

The New York Times reported Wednesday that the campaign of Democratic nominee Mary Peltola appeared to be involved in recruiting the second candidate. Peltola's former campaign manager has alleged she knew of the effort. Peltola denies it. She told CNN she would be "happy to fire" the ex-staffer again, called the accusations "offensive," and said: "This is Alaska; we're not in the business of tricking each other up here."

Sen. Dan Sullivan (R) accused Peltola and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer Saturday of trying to steal his seat. Trump went further at Mar-a-Lago, calling it "voter fraud at the highest level" and a "total Democrat con job." He named Schumer and Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias and said "they should be held criminally responsible."

Trump also said Daniel J. Sullivan "left the world, and nobody can find him now. So he knows he's guilty." The sources contain no charge against that candidate, Schumer or Elias, and no evidence offered for Trump's claims about them.

Judge limits DOJ and DHS pressure on election officials

Separately, U.S. District Judge Trina Thompson issued an emergency order Friday. While it stands, the Justice Department and Homeland Security cannot demand that election officials in any state segregate ballots, purge voters from rolls, or halt ballot processing.

The order covers demands on election officials. The Alaska request is a filing in court, and nothing in the record ties the two actions together.

Harris pushes a harder line

Former Vice President Kamala Harris told Fulton County Democrats in Atlanta that beating Trump will take "a certain kind of ruthlessness," which she defined as "our willingness to use our power to deliver on our commitments." She said Democrats "can no longer let process stand in the way of progress."

A day earlier she called for expanding the Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices and overhauling the Electoral College, without offering specifics.

Trump, at a Florida rally Friday, urged supporters not to get complacent. "Bad things happen when you get too confident," he said, asking the crowd to imagine Byron Donalds and Sen. Ashley Moody were trailing.

What comes next

Polls open Tuesday. Thompson's order stays in place unless a higher court acts. The Alaska probe has no announced charges, and it is not yet known whether a judge will grant the Justice Department's request to segregate ballots ranking Daniel J. Sullivan before the count begins.