Oconomowoc, Wisconsin — Donald Trump Jr. told Republicans at a Monday rally that a victory in Wisconsin’s high-stakes Supreme Court race is critical to protecting his father’s agenda and maintaining GOP momentum ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and the next presidential election.
President Donald Trump’s eldest son appeared alongside right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk at an event hosted by Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization Kirk founded. Trump Jr. urged his father’s supporters to vote in the upcoming lower-turnout Supreme Court election in two weeks.
“They can’t just show up when he happens to be on the top of that ticket,” Trump Jr. said of his father. “You must participate because it is not only about the present, but also about the future. This vote has the potential to bring the presidency to an end.”
Trump Jr. portrayed the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, which he dubbed “one little battle,” as critical to defeating Democrats who are determined to obstruct the Trump agenda.
“It’s everything,” he explained.
The winner of the April 1 election will determine whether conservative or liberal justices control the battleground state’s highest court, which will hear cases on abortion and reproductive rights, the strength of public sector unions, voting rules, and congressional district boundaries.
Hundreds of people attended Monday’s event in deep-red Waukesha County, the night before early voting begins in the race, which is only nominally nonpartisan.
Brad Schimel, the Republican-backed court candidate, was present, as were several other Wisconsin GOP heavy hitters, including former Gov. Scott Walker, the state party chairman, national committee members, state lawmakers, a member of the state elections commission, and others.
Schimel, a Waukesha County judge and former Republican state attorney general, will face Dane County Judge Susan Crawford, who is supported by Democrats. The race is viewed as a litmus test for how voters in a swing state react to Trump’s first few months in office.
Schimel urged those who voted for Trump in November to support him beginning Tuesday.
“Do you think the job is done?” Schimel explained. “We have to stay vigilant, and we have to stay on this.”
Schimel is a longtime Trump supporter who attended his inauguration in January. On Saturday, Schimel attended a “Mega MAGA rally” and posed for a photo in front of an oversized inflatable Trump with his fist raised and a “Vote Brad Schimel Supreme Court” poster on his chest.
In response to the event with Trump Jr., Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesperson Joe Oslund accused Schimel of “bending the knee to Trump—any Trump he can find.”
The president has not endorsed any candidates in the race.
But Trump supporters at the rally said they hoped he would participate to help Schimel win.
“I can’t overemphasize the importance of this election,” Trump supporter Soslan Temanson, 26, of Westfield, stated. “I think it’s important Trump went all-in on Wisconsin.”
Wisconsin has a long history of close presidential elections, but in the most recent state Supreme Court race in 2023, the liberal candidate won by 11 points. Republicans, led by Elon Musk, have been pouring money into this year’s election in an effort to avoid another defeat.
The race is the most expensive court race in US history, with more than $11 million spent by groups backed by billionaire Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO and a top adviser to Trump.
Billionaire Democrats, including philanthropist George Soros and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, are spending money to support Crawford in the race.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, last year’s vice presidential nominee, will cross the border on Tuesday night to hold an anti-Musk town hall with Democrats in Wisconsin to promote early voting. Former Democratic Attorney General Eric Holder campaigned for Crawford in Milwaukee on Tuesday.