Lessons From The WI Supreme Court Race
Republicans Have an Off-Year Election Problem.
The results of last night’s Wisconsin Supreme Court race only reinforced that reality. Democrat Susan Crawford won by 10 points—in a state that Trump carried just five months ago. But what does this mean for the administration? Is Trump already that unpopular? Is Elon a liability? Probably not. But there are lessons to be learned from last night.
1. Re-Focus on Ending Wars
Trump campaigned heavily on ending the Ukraine war—and ending U.S. involvement in foreign wars in general. While his administration has made progress, recent comments from Trump have muddied the waters on how committed he actually is to quickly resolving the conflict. Saying he is “pissed at Putin” serves no real purpose except to appease the neocon-infected establishment.
If Trump and his administration can’t mediate peace between Russia and Ukraine, then the U.S. should cut off funding and step away from the conflict entirely. This isn’t America’s problem. If Europe is truly worried about further Russian aggression, they can handle it themselves.
And while we’re at it, Trump should end all these pointless wars. The real scandal from “Signal-gate” isn’t the leaks—it’s the fact that we’re still bombing Yemen. Mr. President, stop the bombings and keep your promise to be the peace candidate.
2. Messaging on the Economy
The biggest reason Trump won the election was the economy—inflation and cost of living concerns were front and center. And while TRWP has no issue with tariffs, the administration’s constant back-and-forth—imposing tariffs, then rolling them back—sends mixed messages. If you’re going to implement tariffs, stick to them. Don’t cave just because the markets don’t like volatility.
More importantly, Trump and the White House should be laser-focused on selling their economic successes. Energy prices are down. Egg prices are down. Core inflation has decreased. The administration should be hammering these points home every single day. That kind of messaging will help motivate Trump voters to turn out in off-year elections.
3. Congress Needs to Act
Congress needs to start legislating Trump’s agenda. Executive orders are useful but easily challenged in court—and the next president can wipe them out with a stroke of a pen. That’s why Congress should:
• Codify the DOGE tax cuts
• Pass Trump’s “No Tax on Tips” policy
• Advance the “Big Beautiful Bill” to extend Trump’s tax cuts and more
Trump’s first term was light on legislative achievements, and if history is any guide, Republicans will likely lose the House by 2027. That means there’s limited time to get things done. Congress needs to act—now.
Final Thoughts
The Republican off-year election problem is real. Maybe some Trump voters just won’t turn out unless Trump is on the ballot. But since Trump is term-limited, the party must find ways to get these voters to show up in future elections. Whether the administration follows the steps outlined here remains to be seen—but the clock is ticking.
