There may be division in the country over November’s presidential election, but not on the Dan Fagan Show in Anchorage.
During his show, on radio station KENI during morning drive-time, it’s accepted as gospel that the election was “stolen” from President Trump. Fagan tells listeners that Alaska’s U.S. senators and congressman are letting them down.
“Lisa H. Murkowski, she is the enemy,” he said. “She’s part of the communists so we expect (this of) her. But Dan Sullivan and Don Young have surrendered. They’re waving the white flag, saying ‘Yeah, that’s OK. Steal the election. We’re cool with that.’”
RELATED: Murkowski says she’ll affirm Biden’s win; Sullivan is mum
Congress meets Wednesday to count the Electoral College votes showing Joe Biden won November’s presidential election. Alaska Republicans are split over what the state’s congressional delegation should do.
For the record, the Trump campaign has been unable to prove in any of 60 legal challenges that there was fraud on a scale that would have changed the election outcome. And of Alaska’s three-member delegation, only Sen. Lisa Murkowski announced in advance she’d affirm the Electoral College vote. (Also, her middle initial is A, not “H.”)
At least 25 Senate Republicans said they won’t challenge the count, so there’s not much question the election results will stand.
Robin Phillips of Anchorage said the question of what the Alaska delegation should do is dividing die-hard Republicans, even within her family.
“I was talking with my mom and my sister, and you’ve got three different opinions,” said Phillips, who is active in the Republican Party.
Her mom, former Alaska House Speaker Gail Phillips, thinks the delegation should agree to the certification and let the nation move on. Robin feels the same way, but also wants changes in how elections are run. She said her sister believes otherwise and shared her opinion with the delegation.
“She 100% believes that, you know, as long as one voter is disenfranchised, then it shouldn’t count,” Robin Phillips said of her sibling.
RELATED: Rep. Young issues call for unity before swearing in Pelosi as House speaker
While Sullivan and Young didn’t announce how they intend to vote on Electoral College challenges, they have acknowledged Biden as the president-elect. Trump supporters on social media are not happy about it.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
