In Eau Claire, Wisconsin, a town-hall event hosted by Governor Tim Walz aimed to energize Democratic supporters ahead of a pivotal State Supreme Court race, framing billionaire Elon Musk as a central antagonist. With significant financial backing for the conservative candidate Brad Schimel from groups associated with Musk, Democrats have positioned the election as "The People vs. Musk."
During the event, Walz began his remarks by stating that name-calling is ineffective but quickly referred to Musk using derogatory terms, prompting a enthusiastic response from the audience. This strategy is part of a broader Democratic effort to portray Musk as an outsider meddling in local politics, akin to tactics historically employed by Republicans against their opponents.
The narrative surrounding Musk's foreign origins—he was born in South Africa but has been a U.S. citizen for over twenty years—has been utilized by Democrats in an attempt to galvanize opposition against his influence. This approach draws parallels to former President Trump's derogatory remarks about political adversaries, which often contained racial undertones when targeting individuals of color.
In a related development, a federal judge ruled that Musk's attempts to dismantle U.S.A.I.D. likely violated constitutional provisions. The judgement marked a significant move against Musk, as the judge cited his own statements as evidence of his involvement in the agency's disbandment.
Musk has also leveraged his social media platform to amplify calls for the impeachment of federal judges opposing the Trump administration. His comments, which included accusations of judicial misconduct, culminated in a claim that a ruling allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military constituted a "judicial coup." Notably, his assertion regarding the number of senators needed for impeachment was fact-checked and corrected.
According to a recent poll, 57 percent of federal workers perceive most or all of Trump's executive orders affecting their agencies as illegal, with a significant portion expressing disapproval of his overall job performance.