← The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell
The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell
Susan Crawford wins Wisconsin’s Supreme Court election, NBC News projects
00:50:14
Tonight on The Last Word: NBC News projects Susan Crawford wins the Wisconsin Supreme Court seat, beating Trump-Musk candidate Brad Schimel. And Sen. Cory Booker makes history with a 25-hour Senate speech. Shaq Brewster, House Democratic Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, and Ben Wikler join Lawrence O’Donnell.
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- [00:00]
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Lawrence O'Donnell
Time for the Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell. Lawrence is back tonight and just in time. Lawrence, we missed you so much.
- [00:44]
Rachel Maddow
Well, Rachel, it is so great to be back. And this result in Wisconsin is a huge, huge defeat for Elon Musk who as we saw, personally went there, went full cheesehead thinking what that's how to appeal to people in Wisconsin and handing out those million dollar checks, literally trying to buy the election, physically doing the buying on tv. So this is just a huge setback for Elon Musk and therefore for Donald Trump.
- [01:20]
Lawrence O'Donnell
When I first saw the news at the end of last week that Musk was going to not just put his money into this race, but that he was going to physically go to Wisconsin, do a campaign event, do this stunt where he pays voters and do this whole thing again, I thought that is great news for the Democrats because there are few people in American public life who are as underwater in terms of the way the American public views them, as Elon Musk is. But seeing the way that Mr. Musk behaved in Wisconsin, seeing the way that MAGA media portrayed this as something that was actually going to help that candidate there, I started to wonder, maybe I don't, maybe I'm looking at the wrong polls. Maybe they're seeing something else that I'm not seeing. Maybe Elon Musk is going to help this guy. But this is to have this margin within less than an hour of, to have this call within less than an hour of polls closing with the kind of margin it looks like it's going to end up there in Wisconsin. This is just a, this is just a kick in the proverbial teeth to the White house and to Mr. Musk.
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Rachel Maddow
I had certainly been told not to expect a call before 11pm and therefore write as much TV show as you want because you know you're not going to have the breaking news moment. And it turns out I didn't. You did. And that's important too. How quickly and this was called which is to say how decisive this win has to be at this point.
- [02:43]
Lawrence O'Donnell
That's exactly right. And this is going to. I mean, they just pulled Elise Stefanik's nomination to be UN Ambassador because they were worried about their ability to hold onto her seat, which she just won by 24 points. The Republicans and Elon Musk are in a position right now where they have to worry about seats that have 24 point Republican margins. They have to worry about losing seats like this in a statewide race in a state they just won by what looks to be a decisive margin, where you get the call within the hour. I mean, the American people are speaking in lots of different ways, but this is the first time they've really had the chance to speak at the ballot box. And it is with an exclamation point.
- [03:20]
Rachel Maddow
Well, as we saw Cory Booker in those remarkable 25 hours, one of the things that sustained him, that carried him through it was something that we've never seen before in a filibuster like this. And that was direct communication from voters while it was happening. Emails, including in the middle of the night last night when I was watching. My favorite time to watch a filibuster is middle of the night, the lonely hours for the senator who's up there speaking. He received a series of emails from Wisconsin, and he was reading those emails from Wisconsin voters that were so powerful about their worries about Social Security, about their future. And I can't help but link those up to what we're seeing in actual expressed voter results tonight in Wisconsin.
- [04:13]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Yeah. You know, it also strikes me, Lawrence, that, you know, when Trump was trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and he had those dozens and dozens and dozens of failed pseudo legal efforts to try to get somebody to side with him in overthrowing the election results, the places that he, the place that he got closest was the Wisconsin Supreme Court when it was under conservative control before a few years ago, when the liberals sort of took control of that court, they got real close on the Wisconsin Supreme Court to essentially nullifying the vote in Wisconsin on the basis of Trump's fake fraud claims. The idea that they would have, we would have gone through that with the Wisconsin Supreme Court in 2020, and then they would have reinstated a new MAGA majority on that court thanks to Elon Musk coming in with tens of millions of dollars and dollar checks for voters, promising that this guy will be a vote for Trump, will be a vote for the MAGA agenda. I mean, the counterfactual here, the idea, what we'd be talking about right now had this race gone the other way, I think would be a really sobering and difficult national story. And instead what we've got is people saying, saying no to Trump and Musk in a very emphatic way.
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Rachel Maddow
We're gonna get House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries reaction election and to those Florida special elections for the House in this hour. And one of the things to look at in this, Rachel, is if you're a Republican member of the House of Representatives and you won by, you won your seat by less than 30 points. Yes. How much specific help do you want from Elon Musk? And do you want him to physically come to your congressional district and put on whatever silly hat he wants to put on and campaign for you? And I would say yesterday the answer was probably, probably yes from every Republican in the House. What's the answer tomorrow?
- [06:14]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Yeah, good point. Yeah. We'll see what those margins end up being in Florida compared to when Waltz was running and when Gates was running in November. But yeah, if we're now talking about their margin of safety is like a 20 point margin, that's going to change everybody's jobs.
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Cory Booker
Yeah.
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Rachel Maddow
And as we go forward here, when you think of today, today was already feeling like a turning point for me. And maybe it's my experience working in the Senate that makes me so Senate focused. But what I saw Cory Booker do in those 25 hours on the Senate floor is unlike anything I have ever seen there before. And it felt to me like, aha, here it is. Here is the Democratic voice. Here's what the opposition sounds like that Cory Booker found that voice, delivered that voice, is that voice. And was that leader out there today and every Democratic senator who supported him and helped him by asking questions so that he could rest his voice for a minute or two. Every one of them was better on the Senate floor today because of the way Cory Booker rose to this occasion and brought them all up with him. And then you get these voter results tonight. And this date does feel like a turning point day in this year of American politics.
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Lawrence O'Donnell
The other reason it feels like a turning point is because you're back and you were gone for a really long time and that in itself sucked. But you were also gone because you had some illness and we were all worried. And the fact that you're fine and back also feels really, really good, as good as any of those other things. And you're never allowed to go away ever again.
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Rachel Maddow
You know, this morning was my first morning not starting in a doctor's office in the last, I don't know, two weeks or. And I really got used to it. It really was okay. But I couldn't have asked for more energy delivered to this process today than Cory Booker did and this election coverage we have tonight. And Rachel, I really appreciate you so much and so much in the last couple of weeks and your personal encouragement that you gave me.
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Lawrence O'Donnell
Okay, stop now. Go talk to Hakeem Jeffries.
- [08:35]
Rachel Maddow
Thank you, Rachel.
- [08:36]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Goodbye.
- [08:36]
Rachel Maddow
Thank you.
- [08:36]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Goodbye.
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Rachel Maddow
We're joined now from Wisconsin by NBC News correspondent Shaq Brewster. Shaq, this result came in faster than anyone expected.
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Shaq Brewster
Yeah, that's exactly right, Lawrence. And I'm sure you hear some of the crowd right now. They just found out that Susan Crawford will be on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and that the liberal justices will maintain that majority on this state supreme Court. Now, let's talk this through a little bit because there is the substance of this. This is a court that is known for hearing pretty thorny issues, things like abortion rights, voting rights. It was a court that struck down really Republican friendly maps, state legislative maps, just in the last term. And it was a court that is likely to hear many of those competitive challenges in the years to come. And liberals on the court will now maintain their majority. But there's also the politics here, and that's the fact that this was the most exp Wisconsin Supreme Court race or any state supreme Court race in American history. The money came flowing in from all sides, but at the center of the rhetoric around it was Elon Musk. And that's because, yes, he was one of the top outside donors in this race, but he also had that personal involvement. He was here on Sunday, the Sunday before Election Day, handing out those million dollar checks. You were talking about that with Rachel. He was also the center of many of the ads that you saw from the democr or liberal candidate here in this state where they were accusing him of trying to buy this state Supreme Court seat. I spent much of the day at a voting location in the area, and I'll tell you, I found more than one person who told me that they were motivated to come out in this local election, a state election that usually doesn't have high turnout. They say they were motivated to come out because of Elon Musk and his influence and the spending that they wanted to that they saw coming from him. Another messaging line that you heard from Democrats across the state is the idea that if you don't like what's happening in Washington, D.C. if you're frustrated by the cuts, if you're frustrated by what you're seeing from Doge, that this was, they say, the opportunity for voters to push back, to fight back, so to speak, out of what they're seeing out of Washington, D.C. you see still some of those numbers right now. This is well over 10 point margin right now. We're still waiting for a lot of vote to come in. But for Wisconsin, a state that gave President Trump his narrowest victory just a couple couple of months ago in November, that is considered a blowout by any stretch of the imagination in this state. So I'll tell you, many of the people in this room here right now are very excited about what they're seeing. And, you know, this is something that's going to be looked at not just here in the state of Wisconsin, but really across the country as a message that voters here are sending to the rest of the country.
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Rachel Maddow
Shaq, thank you very much for that live report from Wisconsin. I did not expect to be talking to you this early tonight. I didn't expect to, but here we are.
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Shaq Brewster
I did not either.
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Rachel Maddow
Thank you. Thank you.
- [11:40]
Shaq Brewster
Thank you.
- [11:41]
Rachel Maddow
Thank you very much, Chuck. We are waiting for possibly a victory speech in Wisconsin. Susan Crawford has won that important judicial election there. We'll be taking a quick commercial break here. We'll be right back. We're back with our breaking news coverage of elections. Two special elections for the House of Representatives in Florida tonight and also that all important judicial election in the state of Wisconsin, which the Democrat supported, candidate Susan Crawford has won decisively with a surprisingly early call tonight in that election, but to Florida. The first congressional district in Florida was once represented by our own Joe Scarborough. Joe Scarborough just texted me information about this election tonight in Florida in the 1st congressional district which the Republicans have won. And the issue there was always the margin. What was it going to be? As Joe points out that the Democrat tonight, the Democratic candidate tonight in that Florida congressional district won one of the counties, one of the three counties in that district. That has not happened in many, many years. Joe Scarborough said that he won that county himself by 30 points back in the 1990s. Former Congressman Matt Gaetz won that county by 20 points. And tonight the Democrat won that county. That's how much of an impact the Democratic candidate had in this really very red Republican district in Florida. This is northeastern Florida. It borders on Alabama. This is a district that Democrats have never been able to get traction in before. They have gotten some serious adv there tonight. And thanks to Joe Scarborough for texting me that insight about it. We'll get Hakeem Jeffries reaction to that now. Joining us now is House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Thank you very much for joining us tonight. There is so much to talk about. Let's begin as we wait for a victory speech in Wisconsin with your reaction to what you're seeing in those special elections in Florida for two House seats.
- [14:07]
Hakeem Jeffries
Well, good evening, Lawrence. Great to be with you. It was an incredible over performance by the two Democratic candidates in two ruby red districts, Florida won, which Donald Trump won by 37 points, and Florida six, where Josh Weil ran a great campaign in a district that Donald Trump had just won by 30 points. And what we're seeing, of course, is something that we've seen all across the country since the early special elections that began in late January, and that is Democratic energy and overperformance coupled with independent swing voters and even moderate Republicans breaking for the Democratic candidate and rejecting the extremism. The outrageous behavior of this administration and their efforts harm everyday Americans.
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Rachel Maddow
As you look at the Wisconsin result, this was something I did not expect to be discussing with you during this hour tonight. We expected this to be a closer race. We expected the call to come much later in the evening. We saw Elon Musk personally go out there. We saw him hand million dollar checks to voters trying to literally buy the election right there in Wisconsin. What does it tell Republican members of the House of Representative who were counting on Elon Musk to get them reelected?
- [15:38]
Hakeem Jeffries
It's time for them to walk away from this unelected, unpopular, unhinged and un American billionaire puppet master. Elon Musk was just rejected decisively by the voters of Wisconsin. He tried to spend his unlimited resources to buy a state Supreme Court seat in Wisconsin and it failed spectacularly. The voters rejected Donald Trump, they rejected Elon Musk and they rejected the rapidly deteriorating Republican brand. We have to continue as Democrats to make it clear to everyday Americans that we are fighting to build an affordable economy and to drive down the high cost of living, while at the same time pushing back against Republican extremism and their efforts to cut Social Security, cut Medicare, cut Medicaid and undermine our democracy in the American way of life. Clearly, the American people are with us as it relates to what they are seeing in Washington, D.C. and we've now seen this in special elections in January, in February, in March, just recently in Pennsylvania, and now, of course decisively in April in Wisconsin.
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Rachel Maddow
I want to ask you about what feels like a related event, especially at this hour, a related event to what voters are saying in these elections Tonight. And that is what happened in the United States Senate today. And I worked in the Senate for many years, seven or eight years, and I can say that the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives never once set foot in the Senate chamber when I was there. All House members, of course, as we know, have floor privileges in the Senate. Senate. They can come in whenever they want to. It was extremely rare to see a House member there. You were there today. Why did you decide to go there today? And what did it feel like to witness what turned out to be the history that Senator Cory Booker made in the Senate chamber today?
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Hakeem Jeffries
It was a very powerful experience. I had the opportunity to visit the Senate chamber twice, initially earlier in the day, just to express my support and solidarity for Cory, who I've known a long time. We got started in politics around the same period of time, him in Newark, New Jersey, and myself across the river in Brooklyn, New York. We were in law school around the same time, and I've long admired him. But today was really Senator Cory Booker taking it to the next level on behalf of the American people. And indeed, I would argue, Lawrence, the free world. And so it was powerful to be on the Senate floor with him earlier today. But then when it became clear that he had a chance to break Strom Thurmond's record, I decided to change my schedule so I could be back on the Senate floor to witness that history. Because here you have this incredible juxtaposition of Strom Thurmond, having previously delivered the longest speech in Senate history in defense of Jim Crow and racial oppression, and Cory Booker, an African American man defending democracy and the American way of life in the face of Trump's extremism. Breaking that record was just powerful to witness. And, you know, Senator Booker's speech was strong, it was substantive. But perhaps what was most touching about it was that it was soulful, it was authentic. It came from his heart, of course, the brilliance of his mind, but it came from his heart.
- [19:36]
Rachel Maddow
Yeah, it was the most fully authentic Cory Booker that I've ever seen. And I think there's something about that 25 that wears a person down. And he was standing out there with no defenses that you might bring to other sort of public speaking events. And it was really an astonishing thing to watch. One of the things he was concentrating on and one of the things that he was getting in all of the emails that were being sent to him from around the country was fear of what Elon Musk and Donald Trump are going to do to Social Security. And that is a Fear that is as powerful as a voter could have in terms of a. An attachment to an important public program, the most popular public program in American governing history. I got to think, even when you get to judicial elections in Wisconsin, if people are afraid of what's going to happen to Social Security, they're not going to be voting for the side that's trying to knock it down.
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Hakeem Jeffries
That's absolutely correct. And this is an area where there's a clear distinction between what Democrats are all about and Republicans. We want to protect and strengthen Social Security. It's an earned benefit. The American people have paid into Social Security throughout their entire working life. And the nerve of these Republicans, led by Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who want to take a chainsaw to Social Security, the most important anti poverty program for older Americans ever invented, which also happens to be this earned benefit. And why do they want to decimate Social Security? Because they want to actually give massive tax cuts to their billionaire donors, people like Elon Musk. And so I thought what Senator Booker did today was incredibly powerful in speaking to this issue. And as you know, Lawrence, in the House, we had a Democratic led hearing on Social Security. The threats that it is under and our commitment as Democrats to protect it.
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Rachel Maddow
And you did. I watched some of that hearing. And you did something at that hearing. I know you were president at the hearing that Republicans would never do. You actually listened to Social Security recipients and people whose lives could not work, work without their Social Security check. There was a woman who testified, I saw her testify saying her Social Security check is $1,500 a month. $1,500 a month. And without that, she would be homeless. And the stakes identified by the actual beneficiaries in that hearing were as clear and as powerful as you could ask for.
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Hakeem Jeffries
That's absolutely right. It's one thing to say, and it is in fact true that there are a little over 70 million people who rely on Social Security as a major source of income, half of whom live by themselves here in the United States of America. But when you actually hear from people whose very life will be impacted and shortchanged, possibly just cut short in terms of their ability to live with the dignity and respect that every American deserves is very powerful. Republicans have no interest in these Americans telling their stories, which is why, as House Democrats, we will continue week after week to hold hearings. This is the third in a series of hearings that we've held. Initially it was on Medicaid. Last week, week we had a hearing on nutritional assistance. And the fact that Republicans are literally trying to rip food out of the mouths of babies and children in this country today. Social Security, and we're going to continue to stay on this case.
- [23:39]
Rachel Maddow
I mean, on the subject of Social Security, I would have to think that it was a factor in the results we're seeing in those congressional races, those House races in Florida to there's no doubt about it.
- [23:52]
Hakeem Jeffries
You know, Elon Musk was also very involved in these Florida races. And notwithstanding the fact that these are safe Republican districts, the results that we have seen can be interpreted, we believe, as a rejection of him and his extremism as well. This is somebody who has said he wants to take a chainsaw to Social Security. And he's called Social Security a Ponzi scheme. It's not a Ponzi scheme, Elon. He's a living, breathing Ponzi scheme. Project 2025 is a Ponzi scheme. And that's what the voters clearly believe increasingly all across the country. One point, Lawrence, that should have my Republican colleagues quaking in their boots. In the Florida 6 race, which was a Trump +30 district where the margin was cut in half and we'll see where it ultimately lands. But we know at minimum it was cut in half to around 15 or 16 points. There are 60 Republicans in the House of Representatives who currently represent districts where Trump did worse than 15 or 16 points. And every single one of those districts, there's now a target on the backs of those House Republicans.
- [25:12]
Rachel Maddow
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you very much for joining us on this important night. Really appreciate it.
- [25:20]
Hakeem Jeffries
Thanks, Lawrence.
- [25:21]
Rachel Maddow
Thank you. We are expecting a victory speech in Wisconsin by Susan Crawford, the winner of tonight's important judicial election. There she is, the Democratic backed candidate in Wisconsin. A huge defeat for Elon Musk personally in Wisconsin tonight, Wisconsin voters told him they don't need his advice about how to run their state. We'll be right back.
- [25:47]
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- [26:00]
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- [26:14]
Rachel Maddow
The administration doesn't necessarily want to be.
- [26:16]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Questioned on any of its policy.
- [26:18]
Rachel Maddow
I think what we are seeing is Project 2025 in action. This is it coming to fruition.
- [26:25]
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- [26:42]
Lawrence O'Donnell
I do think it's worth being very clear eyed, very realistic about what's going on here.
- [26:47]
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- [27:05]
Rachel Maddow
And we're going back to our live coverage in Madison, Wisconsin, where Susan Crawford is about to give her victory speech after defeating Elon Musk and Donald Trump's preferred candidate for the Supreme Court in Wisconsin. Here is the winner. Susan Crawford.
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Hakeem Jeffries
Tuesday.
- [27:36]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Go round her.
- [27:36]
Rachel Maddow
Go round.
- [27:47]
Susan Crawford
All right. Thank you. All right, Wisconsin. We definitely it. Oh, yeah. You know, just moments ago, I received a phone call from Judge Brad Shimmel conceding the race. And I want to thank him. He was very gracious and I wish him and his family and to the people of Wisconsin, thank you. Thank you for trusting me to serve you on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. This campaign has been an incredible, life altering experience in so many ways, and I'm so grateful to have earned the trust and support of voters across this great state. And I'm here tonight because I've spent my life fighting to do what's right. That's why I got into this race, to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of all Wisconsinites. Growing up in Chippewa Falls, I was blessed with a loving family. Yeah, Chippewa, yeah. It was a great community where people watched out for each other. And my experiences growing up in small town Wisconsin shaped me into the person that I am today. Someone who values hard work, common sense, honesty, and who can tell right from wrong. Someone who watches out for people. But I've got to tell you, 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. I've 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, impartial and common sense justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. And I want to thank everyone across the state who helped to get us to this point. Point. I'm here because of you. To every volunteer who made this happen, for every phone call, every door knocked, every text sent, every postcard written and mailed, it all paid off. Thank you so much. To all of my friends, friends and colleagues, thank you for your unwavering support, friendship, and words of encouragement. To my campaign staff, led by the incredible Cassie Finelli, thank you for all, all of your work to make this happen. All the late nights, all the long drives. I'm so grateful to all of you.
- [32:16]
Rachel Maddow
For all your work.
- [32:17]
Susan Crawford
Thank you. She's the best. They're all the best. To all of our partners and everyone who worked so tirelessly to get us to this point, thank you. And to my friends, Justices Anne Walsh, Bradley Justice Rebecca Dalit, Justice Jill Karofsky, and Justice Janet Protesewitz. You know, I am so humbled to have had all of your unwavering support and encouragement since day one in this race. And to Ann, although no one can truly fill your shoes, I am incredibly honored to succeed you on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. You leave an incredible legacy of service to our state, and you are the embodiment of fairness and integrity. And I'll try to make you proud. And to my family who stand with me here today, my husband Sean. My kids, Fred and Maisie. My brothers Eric and Philip, who are here somewhere. There they are. My nephew Evan. And to my mom and dad and the rest of the family watching from home, thank you for all of your love and support and for standing by me throughout this crazy journey. And to Petra and Phoebe, our furry friends. And to my mom. Happy birthday. I know how glad you are to see the TV ads end. So today, Wisconsinites fended off an unprecedented attack on our democracy, our fair elections, and our Supreme Court. And Wisconsin stood up and said loudly that justice does not have a price. Our courts are not for sale. And. And you have entrusted with me with great responsibilities. And I will carry them out with honesty, dedication, and integrity. I will work hard each and every day to uphold our Constitution and administer justice for the people of Wisconsin. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Wisconsin Supreme Court to deliver fair and impartial decisions. And while we celebrate tonight, I want to share some words of the great honorable Thurgood Marshall, which I find fit. The unprecedented moment we are living in. Democracy just cannot flourish amid fear. Liberty cannot bloom amid hate. Justice cannot take root amid rage. America must get to work. In the chill climate in which we live, we must go against the prevailing wind. We must dissent from the Indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust. We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better. Together we will confront and overcome the challenges we face. As our state's motto says, everybody forward. Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Wisconsin. I am forever grateful. Thank you.
- [38:23]
Rachel Maddow
A huge win for Duncan Democrats tonight in Wisconsin and the crushing of Elon Musk as a political force in Wisconsin tonight. Joining us now by phone is Mr. Wisconsin, Ben Wickler, the chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. Ben, I believe you're in the room there where it's really happening right now. It might be kind of noisy to hear you, but is the new strategy for Democrats in Wisconsin to invite Elon Musk, Musk to come in the final days of every election to try to help the Democrat win?
- [39:00]
Ben Wickler
Elon Musk and Donald Trump decided to make this race a referendum on themselves. Susan Crawford ran a spectacular campaign. Brett Kimmel had more ads, more money, more people knocking on doors than any Republican backed candidate has ever had. And the people in our state, the most purple state in the country, just rejected, rejected Trump and rejected Elon Musk and lifted up Susan Crawford at a message about decency and fairness and integrity by an overwhelming margin, a staggering margin that sends a message to the entire country that if any Democrat is thinking about challenging a Republican, this is the time to run. And any Republican who wants to hold onto their jobs needs to get as far from Elon Musk and Donald Trump as possible.
- [39:43]
Rachel Maddow
Ben, do you believe that voters were activated by issues that are technically unrelated to Supreme Court issues in Wisconsin? I mean, things like Social Security. I just learned that Susan Crawford, for example, is from Chippewa Falls. Last night, Senator Cory Booker in the middle of the night was reading emails from voters from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, who were worried about their Social Security. And I've got to assume that that's the kind of voter who went out today and voted for Susan Cross offered.
- [40:17]
Ben Wickler
Voters are furious. Some voters who voted for Trump, some people who stayed home, just about everyone who voted for Harris in 2024. But voters are furious at what Elon Musk is doing with Trump and the congressional Republicans. Blessing to this country, to Social Security, to the Veterans Administration, to health care, to destroying the cdc. It is infuriating and enraging and voters will have their say at the ballot box. The writing is now on the wall. The Republican congressional majority is going to crumble if they keep doing what they're doing. And they don't get as far from Elon Musk as fast as possible. The reality is every Republican who doesn't lift their voice against this is now complicit. And it's crystal clear. And you know, Elon Musk, he absolutely, by coming to Wisconsin, making himself the face of this, he made this a central issue in this race. But also Susan Crawford stood her ground at every step and that is something for Democrats, Democrats to learn about as well. She was, she was full of integrity and focus and comported herself in a completely clear way where people trusted her values. And I think what you can see in her victory right now is that voters are looking for hope and they're looking for a way to fight back. And what happened in Wisconsin can happen all over this country over these next two years, these next four years. This moment when people feel like there's despair and destruction happening, there is a light shining from Wisconsin that can shine all across this country. The fight back has begun.
- [41:42]
Rachel Maddow
Ben, I don't know Wisconsin voters, obviously, but what I thought I was seeing when I saw Elon Musk standing on that stage in Wisconsin with that cheese head on his head and handing out the giant million dollar checks is I thought I saw someone who was insulting Wisconsin voters. Just profanely insulting Wisconsin voters. Is that an overreading of what was happening?
- [42:11]
Ben Wickler
That is, if anything, an understatement. Elon Musk came in, voters know that he is the guy responsible for, you know, massively slashing funds that people are counting on in the university system, in Social Security offices, letter carriers. They know that he is grabbing money out of their pockets in order to stuff them into his own pockets. And here he comes with his million dollar check that he coincidentally gives to the head of the college Republicans in the state of Wisconsin. Here he comes with his little hundred dollar bribes to sign his petition thinking that everyone is so dumb that they can't see right through it. He was trying to buy this state the way he bought Brad Schimmel, his preferred Supreme Court candidate. And voters found that outrageous. They flatly rejected it. You know, we had last fall when Elon Musk was doing all this stuff. People did not yet see what his real plan was when he got into power. But now we know and the jig is up. Wisconsinites watching him wear that cheesehead, I think think made people want to punch through a wall. And now I don't think he's going to come back to Wisconsin because Wisconsin does not want him here. We do not want his money. Here. We do not want his corruption here. We do not want Doge here. We want a democracy and a country that actually works for working people instead of just the richest man in the world.
- [43:22]
Rachel Maddow
Ben Wickler, thank you very much for joining us. I know you're in that celebrating room right now where everyone wants to talk to you. Go to it. Thank you very much for joining us today tonight.
- [43:33]
Ben Wickler
Thanks so much for having me, Lauren.
- [43:34]
Rachel Maddow
Thank you. Well, Cory Booker had a lot to say in the United States Senate today, and I had a lot to say about him. Some of that and only some of that will be next after this break.
- [43:47]
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- [43:59]
Lawrence O'Donnell
The administration doesn't necessarily want to be questioned on any of its policy.
- [44:03]
Rachel Maddow
I think what we are seeing is Project 2025 in action. This is it coming to fruition.
- [44:10]
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- [44:30]
Lawrence O'Donnell
Now is the time, so we're gonna.
- [44:31]
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- [44:35]
Lawrence O'Donnell
How do we strategically align ourselves to this moment of information, this moment of transition in our country?
- [44:41]
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- [44:59]
Lawrence O'Donnell
There's probably both messaging and policy issues, but as you look to kind of where the Democratic Party is, do you think it's more a messaging issue, more a policy issue?
- [45:09]
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- [45:20]
Rachel Maddow
He has the same initials as his father, Carrie Alfred Booker, who grew up in Hendersonville, North Carolina, and managed to go to North Carolina College and cover his tuition of $600 a year by shining shoes and other jobs. When Cory Anthony Booker was on his way to winning a Senate seat in 2013, he lost his father, who died at age 76, in the final weeks of his son's Senate campaign. Cory Booker's father had the joy of watching his son win football games in high school and college and win elections in Newark. But he didn't live long Enough to see his son reach the United States Senate. As the clock approached 1am last night, an email from Wisconsin put Cory Booker's father right there there on the Senate floor with him.
- [46:16]
Cory Booker
Kayanan Spooner from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, who writes me. My name is Kayana Spooner and I live in Chippewa falls, Wisconsin. I'm 63 years old. My husband Joe and I have five children and three grandchildren and live a wonderful life as our family is growing. God bless you and your family. We own businesses and worked to contribute Social Security for ourselves and our employees. We did all the things we could do to secure our future and contribute to the larger community of those in need. We felt that we're living the American dream. Until one day in 2012. I know this personally with my dad. I feel for you, Ms. Spooner. Till one day in 2012, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's is a degenerate. Parkinson's disease is a degenerative brain disease that progresses over time. Sorry, I'm thinking about my dad. It is unrelenting and affects motor and nerve processes. Loss of benefits will have a direct and daily effect on me and my family as we navigate the medical needs we will be facing. I will need progressive and comprehensive care as I age. I will need medication every single day of my life. And I will need the security of a generous society to care for me. Millions of others join me there. Please, Senator Booker, please protect my Social Security. I just thank God that my mom had the resources to take care of my dad and I watched that degenerative disease take from his life for 20 years and how much it cost the thousands of dollars it cost my mom to take care of him. I know my friend Andy Kim, who is in the Senate right now, is facing health challenges with his father. I know so many people personally whose parents have Alzheimer's. I know so many Americans who are not powerful, they're not rich. I know so many Americans who live in fear every day that one little thing will happen to them that will destabilize their financial well being. And now those millions of Americans because of a president and a man named Musk are driving fear into them.
- [48:57]
Ben Wickler
Are.
- [48:57]
Cory Booker
Whacking away the people that answer phones, are firing the people in an agency that already was struggling with wait times and already was struggling with slow response times. These people who are hanging on by a threat in their lives are facing the people they love the most who are struggling with the diseases that so many of us in this body have been affected by they are now worried. They're writing me letters with words like fear and terror. They're talking about staying up at night and not being able to sleep because they don't have a president that comforts them. They have a president that talks down to them, that lies about the services that they rely on. What is this? It is not normal. It is not normal. This is America. How can the most powerful people in our land not comfort others? Not tell them they have nothing to fear but fear itself? Not tell them to have malice towards none, but have charity towards all? What kind of man is in our White House that makes fun of the disabled, who lies so much that the fact checkers lose count? That minimizes the pain and the suffering. Where you have cabinet secretaries that are billionaires themselves that say if my mom misses a Social Security check, ah, but if somebody else complains about it, they're probably a fraudster. These people are not fraudsters. They're hurting. They're afraid. They're worried. For God's sake. This is America. Every one of our founders documents is riddled with word that speak to of our commitment to each other. Yeah, they were imperfect geniuses, but they were people that aspired to virtue. They read the greatest philosophers of their times. They said what does it mean to be good to one another? What does it mean to create a society that is not run by despots and dictators who are so disconnected.
- [50:59]
Rachel Maddow
Who.
- [51:00]
Cory Booker
Talk down, let them eat cake. They dreamed of a different country than this, folks. They dreamed of a different country than this. They dreamed of a country that stood for not just get all I can for me the biggest tax cut possible to the wealthiest people. They dreamed of a nation where any child born in any circumstance from any place could grow up and have their American dream. And God is gut wrenches me when I hear people not as privileged as me and I'm not musk and doge. But my mom had the resources and the family to support her as she watched my dad die of Parkinson's disease. But this person's writing in. She herself has Parkinson's. She underlines and bolds the part of her letter she says, and I'll read it again because Spooner, I want you from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin to know you are seen, to know you are heard that know that maybe the president will talk down and cut and malign your only paycheck, your only hope. But I won't. I won't. I see you, I feel you. You can't lead the people if you can't love the people. And I'm sorry our president is not showing that he may be saying those words. She writes with Parkinson's. I still remember my dad telling me he had it. She writes that it is unrelenting Parkinson's and affects my motor and nerve processes. Loss of benefits will have a direct and daily effect on me and my family as we navigate the medical needs we are going to be facing. I will need progressive and comprehensive care as I age. I will need medication every single day of my life. I know this. I know you will will. I know you will. I will need the security of a generous society to care for me. A generous society to do the basic for families in this kind of struggle. Millions of others join me there. Protect my Social Security. Senator Booker, I tell you I am going to fight for your Social Security. I am going to fight to protect the agency. I am going to fight against unnecessary cuts that hurt the service it gives. And today into tomorrow, I'm going to stand as long as I can. As long as I can. I'm going to stand and read stories like this. Because you are seen, you are heard. Your voices are more important than any of the hundred of us.
- [53:31]
Rachel Maddow
The Honorable Cory Booker gets tonight's last word.
- [53:35]
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