WASHINGTON: Donald Trump’s second president took a blow among voters in Wisconsin on Tuesday, despite being elected liberals in the state’s Supreme Court, despite his powerful adviser Elon Musk invested millions to sweep the polls.
Two months after his barnstorm returned to the White House, Trump celebrated his victory in two Florida family games that remained in the hands of Republicans.
But in his full-time effort toward the new Republicans in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, Liberal Judge Susan Crawford leads Trump-backed Brad Schimel, who has put a real election test for his polarized presidency.
Trump had earlier pushed conservative judges to run for the post in Wisconsin’s top courts and said on social media that Schimer was a “patriot” and Crawford was a “radical left-leaning liberal.”
Trump responded to his usual extreme remarks, claiming that Crawford has a “history of letting child harassers and rapists give up” and that her victory would be a “disaster.”
“Civilized Destiny”
Musk, who led Trump to work hard to put most of the U.S. administration into practice in a right-wing cost-cutting drive, went to Wisconsin to support Schimel.
“It’s like one of those strange situations where seemingly small elections determine the fate of Western civilization,” Musk said in a discussion on social media platform X on Tuesday.
The highlight of his weekend visit to the Midwest nation was a strategy he saw in his efforts to defeat Trump in November’s defeat of Democrat Kamala Harris, donating money to anyone who signed a petition against the so-called “activist judge.”
Bernie Sanders, a major force on the left of the Democratic Party, told supporters on X that they “have the right to refuse Musk and the oligarchs to buy our elections.”
In addition to testing public sentiment, Wisconsin’s results will also determine whether the state’s Supreme Court (such as the borders of the voting district) is a majority.
In Florida, two seats in the U.S. House snapped up to fill the vacancy in the Republican stronghold, left behind by Trump’s national security adviser Mike Waltz and failed by Attorney General Matt Gaetz.
On Tuesday night, the media called up the Florida District 6 campaign in favor of Republican Randy Fine, who Trump tweeted: “Congratulations to Randy for defeating the huge cash avalanche.”
Shortly thereafter, the media also called Florida’s first Trump-backed Republican Jimmy Patronis’ special election.
Trump has been praised for his party’s victory in the Crimson Zone and posted on social media that “Trump’s endorsement proves far greater than the evil forces of the Democratic Party.”
Democrats have been wandering since losing their presidency in November and are looking for a decent performance in Florida, with Wisconsin’s victory likely triggering.
In Florida, they were beaten by double-digit margins in both special elections.
Big bets, bigger money
The game illustrates the bets of the Wisconsin game, which is in ads and attempts, especially Musk’s attempts to drive turnout.
Musk spent about $277 million on Trump’s 2024 campaign, offering $1 million checks to two voters, each providing checks to other voters who signed the petition.
Schimel and his supporters spent more than $53.3 million, including $12.2 million from Musk’s America PAC, according to the Brennan Justice Center.
Crawford’s campaign and supporters spent $45.1 million.
The center said spending makes Wisconsin’s game the most expensive game in U.S. judicial history.
Billionaire Musk’s Green Bay rally had a passionate crowd over the weekend, but the role of South African-born oligarchs in the Wisconsin elections has caused as much resistance as support.
Retired electrical engineer Rob Patterson, 65, held up a sign at a pro-Crawford rally showing Musk giving a straightforward tribute.
The sign reads: “Our Supreme Court will not sell.”
