In a night filled with sharp wit and comedic jabs, “The Late Show” host Stephen Colbert took aim at tech billionaire Elon Musk after his $25 million gamble in the Wisconsin state Supreme Court race went down in flames.
The election, which saw liberal candidate Susan Crawford defeat conservative-backed Brad Schimel, became a focal point for Colbert’s late-night monologue, as he gleefully celebrated the outcome and poked fun at Musk’s expensive defeat.
Elon Musk, known for his ventures in space exploration and electric vehicles, took a deep dive into political influence, spending millions of dollars to sway the Wisconsin Supreme Court race. Musk and Musk-aligned groups pumped over $20 million into supporting Schimel, a candidate whose values aligned with Musk’s right-leaning political stance
Musk’s financial intervention wasn’t limited to donations alone; he even made headlines by handing out $1 million checks to Wisconsin voters just days before the election.
These extravagant efforts were meant to buy influence in the state’s judicial race and secure a conservative majority on the Supreme Court.However, despite Musk’s heavy investment and personal involvement, the election results were a resounding defeat for his chosen candidate.
Crawford, a progressive candidate, won by a 10-point margin in a state notorious for tight elections.With her victory, the court retained its 4-3 liberal majority, ensuring that progressive rulings on key issues like abortion rights, voting laws, and gerrymandering would continue.Colbert wasted no time in seizing the opportunity to poke fun at Musk, whose vast financial resources failed to deliver the desired outcome.
The comedian opened his monologue by celebrating Crawford’s victory, acknowledging that her win was crucial in maintaining the liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court.“
A lot of folks are happy about this partly because it keeps the court’s 4-3 liberal majority,” Colbert said, with his signature sarcastic tone. “But mostly because it is terrible news for Elon Musk.”For Colbert, the defeat wasn’t just a political loss—it was an opportunity to mock Musk’s failed attempt to use his wealth to manipulate a state election.
The comedian couldn’t resist taking jabs at Musk’s reaction to the result.“Spending all that money, spending all that cash, just to watch the whole thing burst into flames,” Colbert quipped. “Now he knows what it’s like to buy a Tesla.”The joke, a clear reference to Musk’s electric vehicle company, was a direct hit at the frequent criticisms of Tesla’s performance and its reputation for occasional technical issues.
Colbert’s comparison to Musk’s prized company, known for its ambitious but sometimes glitch-ridden products, drew laughter from the audience and cemented the night’s theme of ridiculing the billionaire’s political loss.But Colbert’s roast didn’t stop there.
The comedian took it a step further by emphasizing just how crushing Musk’s defeat was in the Wisconsin race. It wasn’t just that Musk’s candidate lost—it was the overwhelming nature of the defeat that made it especially bitter.
“Musk didn’t just lose,” Colbert gloated. “He got crushed.”This statement perfectly encapsulated the sentiment surrounding Musk’s failed political intervention. Wisconsin is a battleground state with a history of razor-thin margins in elections, so a 10-point victory for Crawford was seen as a decisive rejection of Musk’s influence.
Despite spending millions to shape the race, Musk’s preferred candidate was trounced at the polls, and his financial power couldn’t buy him the result he desired.Musk’s defeat came just days after he made an extravagant show of his involvement in the race, including handing out the $1 million checks.
This publicity stunt, which was intended to garner attention and sway voters, backfired, drawing criticism from opponents who accused Musk of trying to buy the state’s judicial system.“
