Wisconsin 1, Musk 0

Friends repeatedly ask me, “How can we stop Trump?” How do we roll back the mass layoffs, the illegal deportations, the defunding of healthcare, the undermining of our legal system, the attacks on judges, the threats against venerable law firms, the funding cuts for leading universities, the betrayal of our allies, the impending sellout in Ukraine, the incompetent security breaches, the terrifying delegation of authority to DOGE and Elon Musk, the inflationary tariff blitz that singles out our friends? How can we end this nightmare? 

My answer has been that I don’t know how we will do it, but I am an optimist. As Churchill famously said: “You can always count on the Americans to do the right thing—after they’ve tried everything else.”  

On April 1, the answer came on the floor of the United States Senate, where Cory Booker set a record for endurance and resistance, speaking for 25 hours and five minutes as he inveighed against Donald Trump’s administration and stood up against threats to American democracy. 

Booker denounced the administration’s violations of the Constitution and detailed how they hurt Americans. Farmers are losing contracts, putting them in a financial crisis. Cuts to environmental protections that protect clean air and water are affecting Americans’ health. Housing is unaffordable, and the administration is making things worse. Cuts to education, medical research, and national security breaches have made Americans less safe. The regime deported a legal resident because of an “administrative error” and claims it cannot get him back. 

“These are not normal times in America, and they should not be treated as such,” said New Jersey’s senior U.S. Senator. “This is our moral moment. This is when the most precious ideas of our country are being tested…. Where does the Constitution live, on paper or in our hearts?” 

Democratic strategist James Carville had urged the party to lie down and play dead for the time being, reminiscent of Deng Xiaoping’s “bide and hide” rubric that served China so well, arguing that the best approach was to “play possum.” Later, Carville changed his stance, claiming that Trump had “collapsed” “even faster than I could imagine.” 

In his speech, Booker stressed the power of the American people. He told their stories, read their letters, and urged them to be counted. “In this democracy,” he said, “the power of people is greater than the people in power.” 

The power of the American people is no better exemplified than in the election in Wisconsin for its Supreme Court. Trump narrowly carried the Badger State in 2024 with 49.6 percent of the vote, outpolling Kamala Harris by .9 percentage points. So, the Supreme Court race between the liberal candidate Susan Crawford, a circuit court judge and former prosecutor, and Brad Schimel, a conservative circuit court judge in another county, could have gone either way. Barack Obama and George Soros backed Crawford, and Donald Trump and Elon Musk supported Schimel.  

The race drew national attention with abortion rights and legislative redistricting on the line. Crawford won by a landslide by Wisconsin standards, 10 points in the face of Musk’s obscene attempts to buy the election, thus ensuring a 4-3 liberal majority on the court.  

Musk went high insisting “the future of America and Western civilization” was on the line and then went gutter low, offering voters $100 to sign a petition opposing “activist voters” with a $100 bonus for each referral of another signer—a transparent attempt to harvest voter data and mobilize support for Schimel. Musk said the election could determine “the future of America and Western Civilization.” It’s pretty heady stuff. 

Musk also presented $1 million checks to two Wisconsin voters during a town hall event in Green Bay. These were designated spokespeople for his political action committee. The Wisconsin attorney general sued for an injunction, claiming these extravagant payments were an attempt to buy votes, which they were, but the courts refused to intervene. 

The race demonstrated, more than anything else, the pushback against Trump and his satrap Elon Musk.  

Of course, Trump will claim victory by pointing to the two red district congressional victories in Florida, his home state. However, the numbers were not happy news for Trump. 

In Florida’s First Congressional District, where Trump secured 68.1 percent in 2024, the Republican congressional candidate Jimmy Petronis won by a smaller margin, 56.9 percent—more than a 10-point swing. Likewise, in Florida’s Sixth Congressional District, Trump won with 66.5 percent in 2024, while the Republican congressional candidate Randy Fine won with 56.7 percent, another swing of around 10 percent. 

The narrower victory margins doubtless indicate voter dissatisfaction with Trump even in MAGA districts where he had solid support.  

There will be more pushback. Veterans groups are unhappy with layoffs in VA health. Other groups are protesting the shuttering of Social Security offices and firing federal workers. University campuses have erupted over illegal deportations and abridgments of free speech.  

Those alarmed by Trump’s policies are fighting back. The storm is gathering. 

He is a bully. When resisted, he backs off. 

Remember the Wisconsin fight song: 

On Wisconsin, On Wisconsin 
Plunge right through that line, 

Run the ball clear down the field, boys 

Touchdown sure this time 
On Wisconsin, On Wisconsin 
Fight on for her fame, 
Fight, Fellows, Fight, Fight, Fight 
We’ll win this game! 

In savoring her victory over Musk and money, Trump and tyranny, Crawford embodies her state’s motto: “Forward.” Hats off to her and Wisconsin. I toast them with a Milwaukee beer. 

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