MS NOW’s Michael Steele slammed Donald Trump’s “11th-hour move” ahead of the midterm election, as the Department of Justice sued Alaska, seeking to delay certification of the state’s Senate election in the event the Republican incumbent loses.

On Thursday, the department asked a federal court to block certification of the results if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan loses by fewer votes than another candidate, Daniel J. Sullivan, receives. Alaska courts have allowed the other Sullivan to remain on the ballot. The Justice Department is arguing that voters could confuse the two candidates, and that such confusion could potentially affect the outcome of what is expected to be a close race against Democratic nominee Mary Peltola.

“Every step this administration is taking, all the lies that they have told the American people about their sense of making sure elections are fair and free, have just all led to this,” Steele said Friday, shortly after the lawsuit became public.

“The Weeknight” co-host called Attorney General Todd Blanche “the worst of the worst” and said the Justice Department was doing the president’s bidding. Steele argued that the Constitution leaves election administration to the states and that “the federal government and the Department of Justice have absolutely zero role here.”

Trump has previously criticized Alaska’s “crazy voting system.” The state uses a ranked-choice system, in which voters list their candidates in order of preference. If no one wins a majority of first-choice votes, the last-place candidate is eliminated and those votes go to voters’ next choices until one candidate wins.

Steele said the lawsuit shows that Republicans are “afraid” because they have “done jack to give the voters a reason to vote for them.”

“So now, in the 11th hour, they’re going to go and try to manipulate an outcome that’s already foretold by the voters who started early voting, who are already in the game,” he added.

Steele predicted that voters would see through Republican efforts and that the party would get “their you-know-what’s handed to them” on Election Day.

“They have sown and built mistrust in the system that’s coming back to bite them, because we do not trust them. We do not trust their word. We know you’re lying to us,” he said. “And now you’re going to have to reap what you sowed.”

You can watch Steele’s comments in the clip at the top of the page.

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MS NOW’s Joe Scarborough called it a “devastating week” for Republicans, whom he said keep dealing themselves “one self-inflicted wound after another” by embracing the “personality cult” around President Donald Trump despite his sinking poll numbers.

On Thursday evening in Sioux City, Iowa, Republican congressional candidate Joe Mitchell presented Trump with a self-created “Man of the Century Award.” Mitchell, who is locked in a tight race for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, told the crowd that Trump had done “more for humanity and for America than any other president ever.”

“They’ve never given you the Nobel Peace Prize, by the way, which is a disgrace. So what I came up with, Mr. President, is a new award. It’s called the Man of the Century award,” Mitchell said before handing Trump a gold-framed certificate.

On Friday’s “Morning Joe,” Scarborough questioned why a Republican who is facing a competitive election would tie himself to a president as voters struggle with the cost of living.

“Gas prices, just at a level now that most Americans can’t afford to pay,” he said. “Diesel prices over $6: it’s just absolutely crushing truck drivers, crushing farmers, crushing working Americans, crushing all Americans. Rent, too high — Americans can’t afford it. Interest rates continue to skyrocket. Economic indicators, all being radically adjusted downward. Groceries costing more than ever before.”

Scarborough said the “personality cult” around Trump has “evolved to such a point” that, even with the party’s future at stake, many Republicans are “still trying to kiss up to a guy with a 31% approval rating.”

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Instead of addressing voters’ concerns, Republicans are catering to the president’s ego, Scarborough said. He pointed to Americans “who can’t afford their groceries, who can’t afford gas to fill up their their gas tanks to get to work” and “who are getting crushed by tariffs, who are getting crushed by cuts in health care.”

“I say none of this with any glee,” he continued, warning that Republicans’ loyalty to Trump is producing “one self-inflicted wound after another” as voters struggle with prices, healthcare and the economy.

You can watch Scarborough’s full comments in the clip above.

The post Scarborough: Trump’s ‘Man of the Century’ award is another GOP ‘self-inflicted wound’ appeared first on MS NOW.