Trump’s biggest loss this week was in Wisconsin, not New York
Donald Trump, former President of the United States, was arraigned in New York on Tuesday on 34 felony charges of falsifying business records. However, his biggest loss this week may have occurred 1,000 miles away in Wisconsin, where liberals secured a majority on the state’s Supreme Court for the first time in 15 years.
Hours after Trump faced felony charges, Judge Janet Protasiewicz claimed victory over former Justice Dan Kelly, a major Trump supporter and one of the Wisconsin Republicans central to the former president’s failed attempts to throw out the results of the 2020 general election.
Kelly joined the Institute for Reforming Government, a conservative nonprofit group, and served as legal counsel to Wisconsin Republicans’ efforts to aid Trump in decertifying President Joe Biden’s general election victory.
Wisconsin was one of the seven states where the Trump legal team and allies launched legal efforts to block the certification of Biden’s win. The Wisconsin Supreme Court, which at the time was controlled by conservatives, voted 4-3 in December 2020 to deny Trump’s challenge. Conservative Justice Brian Hagedorn sided with the liberals on the court to cast the deciding vote.
This election, Protasiewicz and Democratic allies spent more than $23 million tying Kelly to Trump’s failed attempts to overturn the 2020 results. Democratic officials stated that it is “critical” for the party to win down-ballot elections “so that ultra-MAGA local politicians can’t move to pull a 2020 in 2024.”
The turnout from Tuesday’s contest also portends a tough time for Trump in the state should he be the GOP nominee in 2024. Three Trump associates admitted to the Washington Examiner that Tuesday’s results make Trump’s path back to the White House more difficult.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre mentioned that Wisconsin voters prioritize reproductive rights, with the court expected to hear an abortion case this spring. The new liberal majority almost guarantees that the court will overturn a 19th-century abortion ban that was reinstated following 2022’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ruling.
It is still uncertain if Protasiewicz may be impeached and removed from the court by the Republican supermajority. If that happens, a Democrat, Governor Tony Evers, could then appoint someone to fill the vacancy.
Though Trumpworld officials believe that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against Trump will help secure him the 2024 Republican nomination, Wisconsin politicos doubted the impact the indictment would have on the Supreme Court election.
“We’re focused on winning a critical election in four days that will have long-term consequences for millions of Wisconsinites when it comes to issues like reproductive rights and the strength of our democracy,” said a Democratic official in a statement. “We know voters are focused on this race because it’s an opportunity to return fairness and impartiality to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.”
Despite the loss, Trump is still active in supporting candidates. He criticized Kelly on Wednesday, claiming on his social media site, Truth Social, that Kelly would have won if he had sought an endorsement from Trump.
Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 but lost in 2020. Wisconsin is considered a swing state and turns during the Presidential elections are critical for a candidate’s campaign.
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