MADISON, WI – Today, U.S. Representative Mark Pocan (WI-02) joined CNN’s Kate Bolduan to discuss Susan Crawford’s overwhelming victory in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race and how it’s a referendum on the Trump/Musk agenda. They also discussed Trump’s tariffs and the future of the Democratic party.
Click here to watch the full interview, and find excerpts of Rep. Pocan’s remarks below.
On the Wisconsin Supreme Court Win for Susan Crawford
Clearly, this was not only a 10-point win in a purple state, but the turnout was so high. It was people coming out to say what Elon Musk and Donald Trump are doing is not supported. People don’t want their health care and long term care cut, they don’t want education cut, they don’t want food assistance cut, all so that Elon Musk and Donald Trump can get a tax cut. This was a very strong, resounding vote, and the vote was absolutely against the Trump/Musk agenda.
On the special election in Florida
When you have 10 to 20-point shifts in votes in Florida, there’s a reason. When you have the Commerce Secretary, a billionaire, telling people if they don’t get their Social Security check like his mother-in-law, they wouldn’t call and complain, and if you did, you’re a fraudster. 40% of people live just off their Social Security income. And clearly, in Florida, that matters. The attacks that we see coming from the Trump Administration and Elon Musk right now are epic, and people don’t like them. And Republicans who are complicit are going to pay a price. So whether it be Florida’s elections or Wisconsin’s elections or any other elections that we’re looking at across the country, Pennsylvania, earlier this month, this is all a signal that the Republicans had better take a quick look at their agenda, because if they continue to do this, the American people are strongly against this, and we will beat them back, they’re in trouble.
On Trump’s tariffs
Trump’s tariffs are taxes on the average person. There are reasons to have tariffs. If someone’s dumping cheap steel in this country, we should put tariffs on it to support the American workers and the industry. But that’s not what’s happening. These are across-the-board tariffs that somehow Donald Trump does out of spite, who he’s upset with, or whatever rationale he’s using. But at the end of the day, the people who pay for it are the consumers. In November, the single greatest issue Donald Trump had was the economy. 50% of the people said they voted for the economy when he won. Now it’s his single greatest detriment because he’s not doing what he promised. He’s busy doing Project 2025 and conservative dogma rather than reducing the cost for the American people, and he’s really bringing the stock market down as well with these dumb ideas. So people are not happy with what he’s doing.
On the future of Democratic Party
We’re going to make sure that Social Security doesn’t get cut. We’re going to protect Medicare and Medicaid. We’re going to make sure that education is still funded, and we’re not cutting things like food assistance or veterans’ hospital assistance. We’re already having problems with veterans getting hospital appointments because of the cuts by Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Right now, people know who’s fighting for them and who’s not. You’re going to keep seeing this movement from people understanding that the Republicans right now are a party that’s really just about the wealthiest, the oligarchs, so to speak, in this country: about Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and people who can belong to Mar-a-Lago. And at least Democrats are standing up for the middle class wherever we can.
