Donald Trump doesn't like losers. So one has to wonder what he is thinking after Elon Musk, his biggest political donor, fell flat on his face in an attempt to prop up a MAGA-backed candidate in this week's Wisconsin Supreme Court race.
While it's important not to overthink the results of an off-cycle election, Trump and Musk's embarrassing loss is a warning sign for Republicans ahead of next year's midterm elections.
It came at an unfortunate time, as Trump announced massive across-the-board tariffs that spooked Wall Street, leading to the biggest one-day loss since 2020. Two Florida Republicans also underperformed in special elections for House seats, raising concerns among Republicans about their narrow majority.
But Wisconsin was the clearest signal of the looming danger for Republicans.
Musk overplayed his hand. The tech tycoon and his super PAC poured tens of millions of dollars into the race, but all that money could not stop the growing pushback against Trump's trail of destruction. Despite Musk's efforts, voters elected state Circuit Judge Susan Crawford to the state's Supreme Court, maintaining the court's 4-3 liberal majority.
This is a preview of Michael Steele's latest article. Read the full column here. For more thought-provoking insights from Michael Steele, Alicia Menendez and Symone Sanders-Townsend, watch "The Weekend" every Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. ET on MSNBC.
