“This Has Eroded Confidence in Our Electoral Systems”: Trump Claims “Tremendous Cheating” in Wisconsin Redistricting Case

Jo ShawDec 1, 2023

Minute Read

Trump has recently lashed out at a Wisconsin Supreme Court in a case that could see the current maps for state districts redrawn. The maps have held extreme significance for the GOP over the years as they have allowed the party to maintain dominance in the state legislature despite Democrats frequently winning in statewide elections. Now Trump claims that there is cheating going on and calls for fellow Republicans to act.

Ending 10 Years of Republican Dominance

After hearing extensive arguments from both parties, the Wisconsin Supreme Court is on the verge of a decision that has the potential to bring an end to over a decade of Republican control and dismantle some of the most heavily gerrymandered districts in the country.

GOP Maintained a Significant Majority

Editorial credit: Andrew Cline / Shutterstock.

Originally crafted in 2011 under the direction of former Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker, the maps have been instrumental for the Republican Party in holding their majority. Nevertheless, the emergence of a fresh liberal majority in the state Supreme Court has sparked renewed arguments over the legitimacy of the maps.

Redrawing Maps May Effect Elections

In response, the Republican-controlled Legislature argued that Democrats were wielding political power and attempting to capitalize on the recent liberal majority of the court to overturn a previous decision that affirmed the current maps.

May Mandate Fresh Elections

There was also uncertainty about how the justices would approach the process of redrawing the map and whether they would promptly mandate elections for the entire legislature in new districts for the upcoming year, which is what Democratic voters are hoping to achieve.

Justice Asked for Experts From Both Sides

As The New York Times reported, in the court’s hearings, a justice requested that both parties propose experts who could assist the court in crafting new maps if the current ones were invalidated.

The Poster Child of Gerrymandering

Matthew Rothschild, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, had previously called the state the “poster child” of gerrymandering.

An Anti-democratic Judicial Promissory Note

A Wall Street Journal Editorial board has also waded in on the case. They stated, “Democrats fought to elect Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz this spring so she could help them retake control of the state Legislature through a rewrite of the state’s political maps. Now the court’s liberal majority is going through contortions to deliver on that anti-democratic judicial promissory note.”

The Maps Are a Partisan Gerrymander

The “court declined to hear claims that the maps are a partisan gerrymander, agreeing instead to consider the Trojan horse of whether geographically splintered political districts justify throwing out the maps altogether. Wink, wink,” the editorial continues.

A Radical Shift in Power

If the maps proposed by Democrats come to fruition, it has the potential to bring about a significant change within the state. New maps could create opportunities for Democrats to secure several new seats. Wisconsin continues to be a battleground state for the upcoming 2024 Presidential election.

The Most Extreme Partisan Maps in the Country

ProPublica reported that The Director of the Gerrymandering Project at Princeton, Sam Wang, sent them an email stating that “Wisconsin’s legislative maps are among the most extreme partisan ones in the country.”

The GOP Engineered “A Supermajority Gerrymander.”

According to ProRepublica’s article, Wang contended that Republicans went beyond the actions of most states and executed what he called “a supermajority gerrymander” in the Senate. “Republicans control 22 of 33 Senate seats, giving them the two-thirds required to override a gubernatorial veto,” read the article.

Allows Extreme Behavior Without Repercussions

Wang had stated in a separate report, “The resulting supermajority, immune from public opinion, can engage in extreme behavior without paying a price in terms of political power.”

Maps are Preventing Fair Representation

Dan Lenz, staff counsel for Law Forward, which brought the case, also said in a statement to ProPublica, “Despite the fact that our Assembly and Senate are meant to be the most direct representatives of the people, the gerrymandered maps have divided our communities, preventing fair representation.”

Eroding Confidence in the Electoral System

“This has eroded confidence in our electoral systems, suppressed competitive elections, skewed policy outcomes, and undermined democratic representation,” Lenz continued.

Democrats Accused of Waiting for a Majority

Editorial credit: Evgenia Parajanian / Shutterstock.

In the Supreme Court hearings, Republicans alleged that Democrats violated the state Constitution with their suggested maps. They accused Democrats of deliberately withholding the argument until securing a 4-3 majority in the Supreme Court.

Waiting for a Change in Membership

Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley claimed, “Everybody knows that the reason we’re here is because there was a change in the membership of the court.”

Tremendous Cheating Going On

Editorial credit: Rokas Tenys / Shutterstock.

The former president also weighed in on the argument and shared the Wall Street Journal’s editorial. Trump posted to Truth Social, “Tremendous cheating going on in a State that I love, Wisconsin. Republicans must do something to stop it!”

Wisconsin and the 2024 Election

The state of Wisconsin has the potential to significantly influence the upcoming Presidential election. Trump lost in the state in 2020 but claimed victory in the 2016 presidential election.