In Madison, Wisconsin, President Donald Trump extended his support on Friday for Brad Schimel, a candidate vying for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, urging his followers to cast their votes early in favor of Schimel. This comes as a notable nod of endorsement from the former president and finds harmony with the support from billionaire Elon Musk, who also supports Schimel.
“Voters with any sense of Common Sense should GET OUT TO VOTE EARLY for Brad Schimel,” Trump mentioned on his Truth Social platform. This encouragement arrives in advance of the approaching April 1 election, crucially influencing the direction of the state’s highest court, presently under the control of a liberal majority since 2023. The decision of who commandeers the court holds implications for pressing matters such as abortion rights, redistricting of congressional boundaries, and could importantly shape voting regulations for the upcoming 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential election, pivotal in this battleground state.
Responding to Trump’s endorsement, Schimel expressed his gratitude, saying, “I’m humbled and deeply honored to receive the endorsement of our President.” He went further to express the importance for conservatives in Wisconsin to rally on April 1 to bring back impartiality to the Supreme Court and to similarly ‘save the state’ as they did in past national elections.
Brad Schimel, a previous Republican attorney general and a known supporter of Trump, has been outspoken about desiring the endorsement from the president. Schimel has made appearances alongside Donald Trump Jr. at rallies and demonstrated public gestures of his alliance to Trump, including participating in Trump’s inauguration in January. His campaign has also been bolstered by a substantial injection of over $12 million from groups funded by Elon Musk.
These Musk-associated groups have circulated flyers suggesting that Schimel would champion Trump’s plans from his prospective Supreme Court position. Donald Trump Jr. emphasized the necessity of a Schimel victory to safeguard his father’s political aspirations. Schimel recently communicated to a gathering from Turning Point USA that his election is crucial to being part of a broader “support network” facilitating Trump’s agenda.
“Donald Trump doesn’t do this by himself; there has to be a support network around him,” Schimel reportedly stated. Schimel highlighted that numerous lawsuits have been filed to challenge Trump’s initiatives since his tenure began, voicing that obstructing Trump’s achievements is an ongoing goal for opponents.
Schimel has also expressed alignment with Trump’s past unfounded allegations of electoral fraud following the 2020 presidential race, spreading concerns that lack evidence. Nonetheless, Schimel has reassured the public that his personal views regarding Trump will not influence his judgments on the Supreme Court, as evidenced by Wisconsin being only a narrow margin away from altering the 2020 election results in Trump’s favor. Trump had previously won the state in the 2016 and 2024 elections.
“If President Trump or anyone defies Wisconsin law and I end up with a case in front of me, I’ll hold them accountable as I would anybody in my courtroom,” Schimel said during a debate held in March.
Schimel is competing against Susan Crawford, a candidate backed by Democratic interests, for the available Supreme Court seat. Currently, liberals have a slim 4-3 majority within the court. The winner of this election will secure a 10-year term commencing in August.
President Trump criticized Crawford on Truth Social, describing her as “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.”
In response, a spokesperson from Crawford’s campaign commented, “Schimel has spent his entire career on bent knee to right-wing special interests, we assumed he had this endorsement locked up months ago.”
This is not Trump’s first foray into Wisconsin Supreme Court politics. In 2023, his endorsement went to a conservative candidate, a race which resulted in liberals gaining control of the court for the first time in 15 years.