President Donald Trump said Friday that he had directed the Justice Department to preemptively file a lawsuit to try to block the certification of the crucial Alaska Senate race if Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, citing name confusion among the candidates.

Republicans have alleged that candidate Dan J. Sullivan is running a sham campaign to purposefully confuse voters and draw votes away from incumbent Sen. Dan S. Sullivan based on their names being similar .

Asked Friday about the lawsuit, which the Justice Department filed on Thursday, Trump said, "Well, I'm one that said, 'Do it.'"

"They have two guys run named Dan Sullivan running. So the Democrats put up a guy never -- I don't think he ever voted before," Trump said of Dan J. Sullivan, who appears on the ballot with no party affiliation and told The New York Times that he has in the past voted for both Democrats and Republicans.

"All of a sudden he decides to run for the Senate, and his name is Dan Sullivan. One is Daniel S., one is Daniel J.…