2 months ago
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Tech billionaire Elon Musk, a close ally of President Donald Trump, sank millions into the Wisconsin state Supreme Court race and came up empty on Tuesday night.
And his critics are overjoyed.
Musk and Musk-aligned groups spent some $20 million to help conservative candidate Brad Schimel. Musk over the weekend claimed the outcome of the race “will be important for the future of civilization.”
He even gave out two $1 million checks to voters in a publicity stunt for Schimel.
Voters instead selected the progressive candidate, Susan Crawford, which ensures the court will retain its 4-3 liberal majority.
“He tried to spend his unlimited resources to buy a state Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said on MSNBC on Tuesday night. “And it failed spectacularly.”
Jeffries urged Republicans to walk away from Musk, whom he called an “unelected, unpopular, unhinged and unAmerican billionaire puppet-master.”
Observers on social media were just as blunt ― even on Musk’s own platform, X, where they couldn’t help but revel in his defeat:
America hates Elon Musk so much that he can literally wave millions of dollars under voters’ noses and they’ll still tell him to fuck off. You love to see it.
— Kat Abughazaleh (@abughazalehkat) April 2, 2025Congratulations to @crawfordforwi and our friends in Wisconsin on delivering a humiliating defeat to Elon Musk and Donald Trump who tried to buy this race.
Along with tonight’s results in Florida, Republicans should be very nervous about 2026. https://t.co/R3Klx3Crty
How do we get Elon Musk to campaign everywhere?
Asking for all Democrats.
Elon Musk went to Wisconsin where he said the "destiny of humanity" rested on the election. Tonight the voters agreed and rejected his and Trump's undemocratic vision for the country.
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) April 2, 2025yo @elonmusk maybe you shouldn't have showed up to wisconsin man, i think people hate you there
— hasanabi (@hasanthehun) April 2, 2025We Don't Work For Billionaires. We Work For You.
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Elon Musk put on a cheesehead, threw $20 million at Wisconsin, and still got dunked on.
He paid people to collect signatures, paid people to canvas, and even tried bribing voters with million-dollar giveaways.
Judge Susan Crawford easily defeated Musk’s handpicked candidate. pic.twitter.com/nsAjXKH1LW
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