After continuous efforts by Wisconsin Republicans, President Trump announced on Friday night that he was officially backing Brad Schimel, the conservative contender in the crucial race for control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Trump took to his personal social media platform and encouraged people to vote early for Schimel, calling on those who value what he referred to as “Common Sense” to head to the polls.
He claimed that early voting would help support law enforcement, defend the Constitution, protect people’s basic rights, and maintain justice and freedom for everyone.
Even though Trump’s support for Judge Schimel was expected by many, members of the Republican Party in Wisconsin had been hoping he would speak out, believing it would energize conservatives to help them flip the court’s 4-to-3 liberal majority.
Judge Schimel’s Loyalty to Trump Gains Reward
Trump has received regular praise from Schimel, who currently serves as a judge in Waukesha County and has a long history of backing the former president. Just last Halloween, he wore a costume designed to look like Trump.
At a dinner held by the Republican Party in Wisconsin last weekend, he stood beside a huge inflatable figure modeled after Trump for a photo. Schimel is going up against Judge Susan Crawford, a liberal candidate from Dane County, in the April 1 election.
The race has already become the most expensive judicial election in the state’s history. A political action group supported by Elon Musk has contributed $6.6 million toward door-to-door campaigning and voter mobilization efforts to support Schimel.
That same group is also offering $100 to Wisconsin residents who sign a petition against judges they call “activist,” as part of their strategy to locate and encourage conservative-leaning voters to cast their ballots. For some time now, Schimel and his backers have been asking Trump to step in.
During a private gathering of his supporters, Schimel mentioned that he had personally reached out to Trump’s political team to try and arrange a rally in Wisconsin.
Scott Walker, the former Republican governor of the state, also said in an interview that he had requested the Trump administration to send the president to campaign for Schimel.
Crawford’s Camp Responds to Endorsement
Trump’s involvement did not impress Crawford’s campaign, which quickly downplayed the impact of the endorsement.
A spokesperson for her campaign, Derrick Honeyman, responded by accusing Schimel of serving the interests of right-wing political groups throughout his career. He added that they had always expected Trump’s backing to come through and were not surprised by it.
