President Donald Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk were widely mocked and fact-checked after they both took to social media to champion a voter ID requirement being approved by Wisconsin voters even though the state has actually required voter ID since 2011.
The two men grasped for positive news after liberal judge Susan Crawford won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, 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.
And though Wisconsin voters did approve an amendment to the state's constitution requiring voters to use photo identification, neither Trump not Musk seemed aware that the law is nothing new.
Consider Trump's post on Truth Social in which he claimed victory over Democrats whom, he said, oppose the law because it would keep them from cheating in elections:
"VOTER I.D. JUST APPROVED IN WISCONSIN ELECTION. Democrats fought hard against this, presumably so they can CHEAT. This is a BIG WIN FOR REPUBLICANS, MAYBE THE BIGGEST WIN OF THE NIGHT. IT SHOULD ALLOW US TO WIN WISCONSIN, LIKE I JUST DID IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, FOR MANY YEARS TO COME!"
You can see his post below.
Meanwhile, Musk shared the "news" via the official X account of his America PAC, writing:
"This was the most important thing."
You can see his post below.
Although Wisconsin has required voters to present photo ID for the last 14 years, supporters of the Republican-backed proposal on Tuesday’s ballot argued that adding it to the state constitution would help solidify the rule.
That didn’t stop Trump and Musk from spreading misinformation in the days leading up to the vote.
Trump took to Truth Social on Tuesday, urging voters to back both the amendment and Schimel, writing that enshrining voter ID in Wisconsin’s constitution was "just as important" as securing a conservative majority on the state’s Supreme Court.
And at a Sunday town hall, Musk linked his interest in the vote to the court’s judicial balance and voter ID laws, saying these decisions could “affect the entire destiny of humanity” by influencing which party controls Congress.
That Trump and Musk championed something that was already on the books prompted many to criticize them for currying favor with their misinformed base.
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.”
Neither Trump nor Musk had weighed in on Schimel's defeat.
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