Trump Makes Key Endorsement In Critical State Supreme Court Election
President Donald Trump has thrown his support behind a right-leaning candidate in a critical race for a Supreme Court seat in a pivotal swing state—a race that could significantly impact the makeup of the U.S. House of Representatives.
On Friday, Trump endorsed Brad Schimel over Susan Crawford for a seat on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court. A win for Schimel would tilt the court toward a conservative majority with a 4-3 split. On the other hand, a victory for Crawford would keep the court’s liberal-leaning majority, which could ultimately influence congressional redistricting and cost Republicans one or two key House seats.
“There is a very important Election for State Supreme Court on April 1st, and Early Voting is now underway,” Trump wrote on TruthSocial. He described Schimel as the preferable candidate, while accusing Crawford of being a “Radical Left Liberal” who has issued “light” sentences to individuals convicted of serious crimes such as assault and domestic abuse.
“She is the handpicked voice of the Leftists who are out to destroy your State, and our Country — And if she wins, the Movement to restore our Nation will bypass Wisconsin,” Trump declared. “All Voters who believe in Common Sense should GET OUT TO VOTE EARLY for Brad Schimel.”
Trump emphasized the stakes, encouraging early voting by saying, “By turning out and VOTING EARLY, you will be helping to Uphold the Rule of Law, Protect our Incredible Police, Secure our Beloved Constitution, Safeguard our Inalienable Rights, and PRESERVE LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.”
Crawford, a circuit court judge, has faced scrutiny over certain sentencing decisions. During a recent debate, she addressed criticism over a case in which she imposed what some considered a lenient punishment on a defendant convicted of sexually assaulting a child. According to Legal Newswire, Crawford defended her decision, saying, “I don’t regret that sentence because I followed the law in that case.”
Crawford’s campaign seized on Trump’s endorsement of Schimel, aiming to mobilize voters opposed to the MAGA movement.
“Brad Schimel is a corrupt politician who let 6,000 rape kits sit untested and gave a plea deal to a child predator whose attorney donated $5,000 to his campaign,” her team stated. “Schimel has spent his entire career on bent knee to right-wing special interests. We assumed he had this endorsement locked up months ago.”
The campaign further highlighted Schimel’s ties to Trump, claiming, “Schimel has said he wants to be a ‘support network’ for Trump and that the Wisconsin Supreme Court ‘screwed over’ Trump in 2020. Wisconsinites will reject Brad Schimel once again on April 1st.”
High-profile figures, including SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and GOP activist Scott Presler, have joined the effort to turn out Republican voters ahead of this crucial election. With control of the U.S. House potentially hanging in the balance, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Musk’s America PAC, which supports Trump’s 2024 campaign, has reportedly committed $1 million to bolster Schimel’s ground operations. Meanwhile, another Musk-funded organization, Building America’s Future, is investing $1.5 million in pro-Schimel advertising.
If Crawford wins, the current 4-3 liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court will remain intact, giving justices the authority to approve redistricting that could cost Republicans multiple congressional seats, potentially flipping control of the House to Democrats in 2026.
Barry Burden, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, noted the court’s significance, explaining that with the state divided between a Democratic governor and a Republican legislature, “the Supreme Court is the center of the action.” He added, “It’s become a place where a lot of hot-button issues people care about get decided.”
Meanwhile, Presler, who played a pivotal role in boosting Republican voter registration in Pennsylvania during the last election cycle, is cautioning against complacency. He warned that Wisconsin could see a repeat of the 2023 election, when liberal-leaning Janet Protasiewicz defeated conservative Dan Kelly, flipping the court’s ideological balance.