Trump dooming Republicans in Wisconsin with his ongoing scheme to decertify 2020
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Wisconsin Republican House Speaker Robin Vos just can’t get out from under the sham 2020 election investigation he created to placate Donald Trump.
The taxpayer-funded probe, with an estimated price tag of $680,000, has turned up exactly no evidence of fraud but it sure has fueled a movement of deluded election deniers. Vos originally tapped former state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman to run what has evolved into a total debacle. Now Gableman’s contract with the state Assembly is up, and Vos is seeking to end the probe and cut his losses.
Enter Donald Trump, who is threatening Vos with a primary challenge if he shuts it down, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“Anyone calling themselves a Republican in Wisconsin should support the continued investigation in Wisconsin without interference,” Trump said.
“I understand some RINOs have primary challengers in Wisconsin. I’m sure their primary opponents would get a huge bump in the polls if these RINOs interfere,” he added, wielding an acronym for “Republicans In Name Only” that’s synonymous with traitor in Trump circles.
Trump didn’t name Vos, but he didn’t have to. Controversy over Vos’ costly, unproductive, and ongoing investigation has been raging since last year.
Vos originally announced the probe to appease Trump—a fool’s errand. The investigation served only to stoke false hopes among election deniers and give political opportunists a toehold.
Vos was left desperately trying to disabuse election deniers of the notion that state lawmakers could vote to decertify the 2020 election, part of an ongoing plot being pushed by Trump attorney John Eastman, author of the Jan. 6 scheme to deny congressional certification of Joe Biden’s win.
Gableman, who’s being compensated $11,000 per month, has missed several deadlines to file his report. He also seems to be terrorizing mayors, election officials, and others by targeting them with overly broad subpoenas, then asking a judge to jail them for noncompliance. Gableman’s targets dispute his characterization that they are violating the law. They are also insisting that he interview them in a public setting rather than privately, according to the Journal Sentinel.
Vos is pressuring Gableman to close out his daily duties this week. But a hearing on those subpoenas is set for July and a favorable ruling for Gableman would result in several weeks or months more of deposition work. Gableman has also graced the airwaves of Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast to lobby for an extension.
Gableman’s cause has been taken up by some GOP state lawmakers, too.
“If Speaker Vos shuts down the Office of Special Counsel’s investigation now, not only will he be condoning cheating, he’ll be legalizing it,” said GOP Rep. Janel Brandtjen, who chairs the Assembly Committee on Campaigns and Elections.
In the meantime, Vos and Gableman have been embroiled in several lawsuits related to cases filed by the liberal watchdog group American Oversight.
The drip, drip, drip of Wisconsin GOP drama comes amid a midterm effort that historically should favor Republicans. But a Marquette Law School poll in late February posted some daunting numbers for Republicans.
President Joe Biden’s job approvals (43% approve/52% disapprove) aren’t exactly great, but Trump’s favorability rating has plummeted to 36% favorable/57% unfavorable.
The favorables for incumbent GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, who’s up for reelection, are similarly dismal, with just 33% of Wisconsin voters viewing him favorably, while 45% view him unfavorably—his worst numbers in 10 years of Marquette polling.
At the same time, incumbent Democratic Gov. Tony Evers is faring relatively well in this polarized environment, with 50% job approval to 41% disapproval.
Oh, and Vos’ bottom-of-the-barrel favorables sit at 13% favorable, 28% unfavorable, and 50% who “hadn’t heard enough.”
Please proceed, Trump. Wisconsinites need to feel your continued presence in the state.
—>>Later today, we will be hosting Ben Wikler, chair of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, on The Brief, from 4:30 PM ET to 5:30 PM ET. You can catch it below!