Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Liberal Wisconsin Judge Calls Out Elon Musk In Victory Speech—And It's Everything

Susan Crawford; Elon Musk
Scott Olson/Getty Images (left and right)

Liberal judge Susan Crawford shared her thoughts about taking on billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court—and the crowd's cheers say it all.

Liberal judge Susan Crawford called out billionaire Elon Musk in her victory speech after winning a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, basking in successfully beating her Republican opponent Brad Schimel and ensuring that the nonpartisan court’s narrow 4-3 liberal majority remains intact despite Musk's efforts to sway the race.

Musk fueled the high-stakes race, having poured more than $20 million into supporting Schimel, according to state campaign records. That includes $3 million to the state Republican Party—$2 million of which was donated just last week. Due to state election laws, large contributions must be funneled through political parties before reaching candidates.


Beyond direct donations, Musk’s super PAC, America PAC, spent $11.5 million on digital ads, mailers, field operations, and voter outreach. Meanwhile, his political nonprofit, Building America’s Future, spent nearly $4.8 million on TV ads attacking Crawford.

Musk himself even awarded $1 million checks to two Wisconsin voters who pledged to vote for Schimel.

The race was widely expected to set a new record for the most expensive state supreme court election in history. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, spending by candidates and outside groups surpassed $100 million, underscoring the high stakes of the contest.

That massive influx of money helped fuel a hard-fought and contentious campaign, driven in part by the race’s broader national implications. Viewed as an early test of voter sentiment, the election also provided insight into how a key swing state might react to the influence of Trump-aligned figures.

And Crawford made clear in her victory speech that she is well aware of these stakes—particularly after "taking on the richest man in the world":

"As a little girl growing up in Chippewa Falls I never could have imagined that I'd be taking on the richest man in the world for justice in Wisconsin, and we won!"

The crowd's enthusiasm was palpable as thrilled supporters cheered loudly.

You can hear what she said in the video below.

Crawford, pointing to her long career in law—both in front of and behind the bench—also affirmed her commitment to Wisconsin voters:

"I spent my whole career fighting for Wisconsin as a prosecutor, a lawyer, a judge and now a soon-to-be justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Standing up for our fundamental rights and freedoms, protecting Wisconsin families and communities."
"My promise to Wisconsin is clear. I will be a fair, common sense and impartial justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court."

You can watch her full speech below.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

Many loved her remarks and criticized Musk in response.


Meanwhile, Schimel addressed his supporters, confirming that he had conceded the race. When some in the crowd reacted with objections—shouting “no!” or claiming that Democrats had cheated—he firmly responded that his supporters have "gotta accept the results.”

Schimel's concession alone is a major blow to Musk, an election conspiracy theorist who earlier said "whichever party controls the House to a significant degree controls the country, which then steers the course of Western civilization." He claimed the race "is one of those things that may not seem that it’s going to affect the entire destiny of humanity, but I think it will.”

Chief among Musk's concerns is the key role that the court could play in congressional redistricting. Crawford, who will be sworn in on August 1, could end up hearing one or more cases that impact how the 2028 presidential election will be run in the swing state.

More from News/political-news

man in front of computer code
Chris Yang on Unsplash

Conspiracy Theories That Seem Believable The More You Look Into Them

We tend to think of conspiracy theories as a phenomenon of the digital age. But the internet and mobile devices only allow them to be created and spread faster.

Conspiracy theories have likely been around as long as human civilization has. They are, at their root, just another form of rumors and gossip.

Keep ReadingShow less
People protesting, one protestor holding a sign that reads, 'Enough'
Photo by Liam Edwards on Unsplash

People Explain The Pettiest Reasons They Boycott A Specific Brand

No matter how many complaints we file or phone calls we make, some businesses refuse to catch a hint about their bad practices until we hit it where it hurts the most: their bottom line.

While some people will give a business every possible chance before refusing to be a customer anymore, others will boycott over the most petty reasons in existence.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dan Rather; Donald Trump
Theo Wargo/Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Dan Rather Goes Viral With Epic 'Turkish Proverb' Aimed At Trump—And It's On Point

Legendary journalist Dan Rather went viral and had social media users nodding their heads after sharing a supposed Turkish proverb about "clowns" aimed at President Donald Trump.

In recent days, the Trump administration has come under fire for the Signal chat scandal, in which top officials discussed war plans in Yemen on an unsecured server; deported a man to El Salvador and defended the move because the man had "traffic violations;" has continued to court controversy over Trump's repeated threats to annex Greenland; has further aggravated relations with Canada; and launched a global trade war that has sent markets tumbling.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshots of Rosalyn Sandri
@rosie.sandri/TikTok

Trans Texas Teacher Resigns After Being Targeted By MAGA Account 'Libs Of TikTok'

Rosalyn Sandri, a transgender high school English teacher in Texas, revealed she was forced to resign from her position "for my safety and the safety of the students" following online death threats after being doxxed by the far-right "Libs of TikTok" account.

Sandri, an English teacher at Red Oak High School just south of Dallas for the past three years, resigned on Monday—Trans Day of Visibility—following a wave of death threats, hate mail, and violent messages. Her decision came shortly after Libs of TikTok circulated a TikTok video she had shared about feeling affirmed by her students.

Keep ReadingShow less
Padma Lakshmi Drags White Influencers Who Trashed Michelin-Starred South Indian Restaurant
@theviplist/TikTok; @padmalakshmi/TikTok

Padma Lakshmi Drags White Influencers Who Trashed Michelin-Starred South Indian Restaurant

Former Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi tore into TikTok influencers who gave a scathing review of Semma, a Michelin-starred South Indian restaurant in New York City.

Meg Radice and Audrey Jongens, known for their often rage-baiting food critique videos on their TikTok page, The VIP List, drew backlash for their harsh condemnation of the West Village eatery helmed by executive chef Vijay Kumar, who features dishes he and his mother used to prepare when he was growing up in Tamil Nadu.

Keep ReadingShow less