On Friday, President Donald Trump urged his supporters to vote for Brad Schimel, a candidate for the Wisconsin Supreme Court, who already had the strong backing of Trump’s billionaire advisor, Elon Musk. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, “All Voters who believe in Common Sense should GET OUT TO VOTE EARLY for Brad Schimel.” Trump’s post came just over a week before the April 1 election, which will determine control of the court. Since 2023, the court has had a liberal majority, and the outcome of this election could influence a wide range of significant issues, including abortion rights, congressional district boundaries, and even the voting rules for the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election in Wisconsin, a key battleground state.
Schimel responded to Trump’s endorsement by saying, “I’m humbled and deeply honored to receive the endorsement of our President.” He further stated, “On April 1, Wisconsin conservatives must unite to restore objectivity to our Supreme Court and save our state like we saved our country in November.”
Brad Schimel, a former Republican attorney general, is a supporter of Donald Trump and had previously expressed his desire to receive an endorsement from the former president. In March, he participated in a rally alongside Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., took a photo in front of a giant inflatable Trump, and attended Trump’s inauguration in January. Schimel has also received significant financial support, with over $12 million spent by groups backed by Elon Musk.
One of the mailers sent out by a group funded by Elon Musk highlights that Schimel would support Trump’s agenda if elected to the Supreme Court. Trump Jr. emphasized the importance of Schimel’s victory to protect his father’s policies. Schimel also told a group of Turning Point USA canvassers earlier this month that he needed to be elected to be part of a “support network” for Trump.
“Donald Trump doesn’t do this by himself; there has to be a support network around him,” Schimel said, according to a video of his remarks shared on YouTube. “They’ve filed over 70 lawsuits against him since he took office barely a month ago, trying to stop almost everything he’s doing because they don’t want him to succeed.”
Schimel has also expressed concerns about voter fraud, similar to those raised by Trump after his 2020 election loss, despite there being no evidence to support those claims.
Nevertheless, Schimel has consistently stated that his personal views on Trump would not influence any decisions he makes on the state Supreme Court. In 2020, the court was one vote away from overturning Trump’s loss in Wisconsin. Trump won the state in both 2016 and 2020.
“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 March debate.
Schimel is up against Democratic-backed candidate Susan Crawford for an open seat on the court. Currently, liberals hold a 4-3 majority, and the winner of this race will serve a 10-year term starting in August.
On Truth Social, Trump criticized Crawford, calling her “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.”
A spokesperson for Crawford’s campaign stated, “Schimel has spent his entire career catering to right-wing special interests, so we expected he’d have this endorsement secured months ago.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has participated in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race. In 2023, he endorsed the conservative candidate, whose loss resulted in liberals gaining control of the court for the first time in 15 years.
