Sullivan has nothing to say about Trump's war in Iran
Speaking to Republicans at a fundraiser Friday in Fairbanks, Sen. Dan Sullivan outlined the themes of his campaign against Democratic challenger Mary Peltola.
Sullivan has brought billions and billions and billions and billions of federal dollars to Alaska for the military. “This is huge for our national security, but it’s great for jobs,” said Sullivan.
“The worst thing that could happen for Alaska, but not just for Alaska, for America, is to have (Chuck) Schumer back as Majority leader, have the Democrats back in charge.”
“We are the firewall for freedom, not just for Alaska, but for America, Right. This seat, it’s not my seat. This is your seat. This is your seat. So that is what’s at stake.”
Dan Sullivan likes Fairbanks. Mary Peltola doesn’t like Fairbanks. She did “zero” for Fairbanks when she served in Congress.
Unnamed Democrats recruited Petersburg Dan J. Sullivan to run against the firewall for freedom. They are trying to cheat and steal the election. (Sullivan has provided no proof the Democrats recruited Dan J. Sullivan.)
Peltola has lots of money, has hired more than 30 people, almost all of them from New York City. “The rumor is, we have good spies within our own network is that Schumer promised Peltola $70 million all in.” Sullivan claimed his campaign “has the energy and the ideas.” He said the Republican National Committee is helping with his Fairbanks campaign headquarters in the old Chuck E. Cheese building.
The most striking element of Sullivan’s presentation at Airport Equipment Rentals was his inability and/or unwillingness to talk about the president to perhaps the friendliest audience that he could have anywhere.
It’s bizarre that Sullivan would not address an audience of loyal Republicans—including what Sullivan called an “all-star” list of local co-hosts—about how proud he is to stand with Trump.
Sullivan didn’t reflect on the reflecting pool, marvel at Trump’s obsession with building a ballroom, his attacks on voting rights, the so-called Board of Peace or the president’s rapidly diminishing mental state.
Sullivan did talk a lot about what he says may be the largest and most expensive military buildup in Alaska ever, but he failed to mention the quagmire in Iran or how to pay for the $1.5 trillion military budget favored by Trump.
Sullivan was a big cheerleader for the war when Trump started it in February, claiming that Trump did not start the war.
“To my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, wake up,” Sullivan said five months ago at an Armed Services Committee hearing. “This country's been at war with us for almost a half century, and they've killed thousands and wounded thousands of our best and brightest.”
Apparently to save words, Sullivan has had his spokeswoman, Amanda Coyne, recycle the same statement for months. He continues to stand with Trump on the war and opposes a vote to authorize the war.
“Iran has been at war with the United States for nearly 50 years,” his office said in the statement provided by Coyne to the Anchorage Daily News in late June. “They have killed and wounded thousands of America’s best and brightest. Every president since the Iranian Revolution has focused on making sure Iran — the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism — doesn’t have nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.”
The impact of the war is not just counted in lives lost, the depletion of expensive military hardware, worldwide economic damage and tens of billions wasted.
Trump’s actions have made life far more expensive in Alaska by driving up the price of gasoline, heating fuel, electricity and everything else.
In Fairbanks, the rise in diesel fuel caused by Trump has pushed up a typical residential monthly electric bill by $46 this summer.
It was shortly after Trump’s 2026 State of the Union speech that Sullivan went on Sean Spicer’s podcast to praise the Trump Golden Age of America, America’s Comeback and the Trump Energy Dominance campaign.
Sullivan was ecstatic about Trump’s speech and how Trump had lowered gas prices. Biden “literally” attacked the oil industry, according to Sullivan. But Trump was helping everyone save money with his brilliance.
“You know, lowering energy costs, the president talked about that. You know he said look that is a big tax break. We’re down I think almost 50 percent for gas at the pump during the Biden’s administration’s high, in terms of gasoline. That is a huge lowering of the cost of living in every state, certainly in my state,” said Sullivan.
At his Fairbanks fundraiser Sullivan did his mandatory bit of Biden bashing and complained that Senate Democrats had blocked discussion of the National Defense Authorization Act. He said Democrats are blocking pay raises for the military, $2.6 billion for Alaska, etc.
He didn’t say that Democrats took this position to oppose the Trump handling of the war in Iran, which is now estimated to require $67 billion or more, suggesting instead that Democrats are anti-military.
Trump now claims the pause in the war means that there is a new 60-day period for Trump to wage war without Congressional authorization, but Sullivan says that Trump does not need Congress to wage war.
In a July 14 Senate hearing, Sullivan complained about Democrats not being serious about defense.
“Usually, we try — the serious senators on this committee try — to forego politics and focus on national security. And I hope there comes the supplemental, when it comes again on the NDAA today, that they do the right thing,” Sullivan said. “That would be voting on these things, or at least considering them.”
Sen. Angus King replied, “If the war had been authorized, it would be a different discussion.”
On July 14, Sullivan claimed it was a “sad day here in the Senate” that the bill had not been advanced for discussion, defending Trump’s war with his silence.
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