The guy who caused the high gas prices is now trying to blackmail a red state.

Alaskans are their own people, who do their own thing, but one of the things that Alaska has done fairly consistently is back Republican candidates.

Back when the Republican Party was the party of small government and states’ rights, it made sense that voters in Alaska would be inclined to vote Republican more often than not.

Somehow, under Donald Trump, the Republican Party is no longer a small-government, individual-rights party, and Alaska is now in the president’s crosshairs because it has a vulnerable incumbent Senator, Dan Sullivan, facing a strong challenge from Democrat Mary Peltola

Just as Trump didn’t do Ashley Hinson of Iowa any favors when he tried to support her campaign, it could be argued that he did even more damage to Sullivan in Alaska with his sleepy mobster routine.

After Trump’s promise of $5,000 checks for everyone, but only if they voted for Republican control of the House and Senate, went absolutely nowhere and might have hurt Republican chances, the president tried again with a more targeted effort focused on Alaska.