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Trump, Musk, face blame for setbacks, but are Wisconsin, Florida elections crystal ball for 2026 midterms?
Democrats are celebrating a larger-than-expected victory in a high-profile and historically expensive election in battleground Wisconsin, in the first statewide ballot box contest since President Donald Trump’s return to power in January.
And while the GOP came out on top in Tuesday’s other marquee contests, comfortably holding control of two vacant congressional seats in twin special elections in red state Florida, Democrats are spotlighting that their candidates overperformed in overwhelmingly Republican districts.
Democrats are portraying last week’s contests as early referendums on Trump’s sweeping and controversial moves during the opening months of his second tour of duty in the White House, including the massive federal government downsizing being steered by billionaire White House special adviser Elon Musk.
And Democrats argue that the results in Wisconsin and Florida are a sign of things to come in next year’s midterm elections.
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Wisconsin Supreme Court candidate Susan Crawford waves during her election night party after winning the election Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf) (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf)
«These races proved what we’ve seen over and over again this year: people are already fed up with Trump’s chaos agenda and they’re voting for a change,» Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin emphasized in an email to supporters.
But Republican National Committee chair Mike Whatley, pointing to the Florida victories, countered that «the American people sent a clear message…they want elected officials who will advance President Trump’s America First agenda, and their votes can’t be bought by national Democrats.»
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In Wisconsin, liberal-leaning Judge Susan Crawford topped conservative-leaning Judge Brad Schimel by roughly 10 percentage points, to preserve the liberal majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which is likely to rule going forward on crucial issues like congressional redistricting, voting rights, labor rights and abortion.
With a massive infusion of money from Democratic-aligned and Republican-aligned groups from outside Wisconsin, which turned the technically nonpartisan race into the most expensive judicial election in the nation’s history, the contest partially transformed into a proxy battle over Trump as well as Musk, who personally inserted himself into the election.
Elon Musk speaks during a town hall on Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Musk, the chief executive of Tesla and SpaceX, who has taken a buzz saw to the federal government workforce as he steers Trump’s recently created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), dished out roughly $20 million in the Wisconsin race through aligned groups in support of Schimel.
And Musk, in a controversial move, handed out $1 million checks at a rally in Green Bay last Sunday to two Wisconsin voters who had already cast ballots in the contest and had signed a petition to stop «activist judges.»
DEMOCRAT CONGRESSMAN LASHES MUSK IN OPENING SALVO OF SENATE BID
«I never could have imagined that I’d be taking on the richest man in the world, for justice in Wisconsin. And we won,» Crawford said in her election night victory speech.
The results in Wisconsin will likely give the Democrats a jolt, and validate their efforts to target Musk.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the chamber, argued that Wisconsin voters «sent a decisive message to Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and DOGE by rejecting an extreme Republican for their Supreme Court: our democracy is not for sale.»
And the DNC, looking ahead to next year’s bigger contests in the 2026 midterm elections, called the showdown in Wisconsin a «bellwether race.»
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But veteran Republican strategist Matt Gorman noted that two years ago, when the conservatives lost their majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the liberal-leaning candidate won by 11 points.
Pointing to this week’s 10-point margin, with Trump in the White House, Gorman asked»this is what Democrats are jumping up and down over?»
In Florida, the double-digit victories by the Republican candidates will give the GOP a little bit of breathing room in the House of Representatives, where the party is holding onto a very fragile majority as it aims to pass Trump’s agenda.
Republican Randy Fine, center, won the April 1, 2025, special election to fill the vacancy left by Mike Waltz’s resignation to be Trump’s national security advisor. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
But the Democratic candidates in the two special congressional elections vastly outraised their Republican counterparts – a sign that the party’s base is angry and energized – which forced GOP-aligned outside groups to pour money and resources into the races during the final stretch. And the Democratic candidates ended up losing by 15 and 14 points in districts that Trump carried by 37 and 30 points in last November’s presidential election.
REPUBLICANS HOLD CONTROL OF TWO VACANT CONGRESSIONAL SEATS IN THIS RED STATE
Democrats quickly spotlighted how the party «overperformed» in Florida. And the House Majority PAC, the top super PAC supporting House Democrats, touted that the results showed «that the political headwinds are firmly at our backs heading into 2026.»
President Donald Trump and billionaire and special White House adviser Elon Musk sit for an interview on Fox News’ «Hannity,» which ran on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 (Fox News)
But Mike Marinella, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, argued that «Democrats just lit over $20,000,000 on fire in a doomed-to-fail effort to make two deep-red Florida districts competitive – and got blown out of the water in the most embarrassing way.»
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The elections in Wisconsin and Florida were held on the eve of Trump’s blockbuster tariff announcement, sparking a trade war with the nation’s top trading partners and triggering a massive sell-off in the financial markets. The latest move by the president could also set the stage for an even bigger ballot box backlash next year.
President Donald Trump holds a chart as he delivers remarks on reciprocal tariffs during an event in the Rose Garden entitled «Make America Wealthy Again» at the White House in Washington, DC, on April 2, 2025. Trump geared up to unveil sweeping new «Liberation Day» tariffs in a move that threatens to ignite a devastating global trade war. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images) (Getty Images)
But Democrats have a serious brand issue right now.
The party’s favorable rating sank to all-time lows in separate national polls conducted last month by CNN and NBC News. Those numbers followed a record low for Democrats in a Quinnipiac University survey in the field in February.
Additionally, the latest Fox News National poll indicated that congressional Democrats’ approval rating is at 30%, near an all-time low. And Democratic activists are irate over their party’s inability to blunt Trump’s agenda.
And when it comes to normally low-turnout off-year elections and special elections, the party in power – which in the nation’s capital is clearly the Republicans – often faces political headwinds.
«We’ll get up to fight another day. But this wasn’t our day,» Schimel said in his concession speech.
Judge Brad Schimel concedes his election loss in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, on April 1, 2025. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
And Wisconsin GOP chair Brian Schimming noted that «coming off a successful November, we knew the April elections would be challenging.»
DNC chair Martin is touting that «Democrats have won or over-performed in nearly every special election race this year, including this week’s.»
But Republicans note that Democrats enjoyed a slew of special election victories in 2023 and 2024 before suffering serious setbacks in last November’s elections.
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«Special elections are special for a reason, and not always useful canaries in the coal mines for what lies ahead,» veteran Republican strategist Colin Reed told Fox News Digital. «While they can be used as a barometer for energy, they are also a reflection of the individual candidates whose names are on the ballots.»
And Gorman emphasized that special elections «are not predictive.»
Reed argued that «the bigger challenge for the Democrats looking ahead is the lack of a vision or governing agenda beyond reflexive and blanket opposition to the White House and their continued positioning way outside the mainstream on a slew of commonsense issues.»
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Volodimir Zelenski insiste en reunirse con Vladimir Putin mientras Rusia intensifica los bombardeos en Ucrania
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Fuego y humo sobre Járkov, Ucrania, tras un ataque de Rusia con drones. Foto: EFE Ataques con drones y bombas
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Some members of the group charged in the Prairieland Detention Center anti-ICE attack on Independence Day have been arrested in the past for protest activities.
Ines Soto, who is part of the group of ten charged with attempted murder of federal officers and firearm offenses, was arrested at a protest in 2016 for allegedly resisting arrest and trying to avoid detention, according to K-HOU 11 at the time.
The protest was against a speech by Richard Spencer at Texas A&M University. The outlet My Aggie Nation noted that Soto was 31 in 2016, which corroborates with a KERA News report stating that Soto is now 40 years old and was released on a $10,000 bond.
FBI CAPTURES FORMER MARINE CORPS RESERVIST ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AT ICE OFFICERS AT TEXAS DETENTION CENTER
Ten suspects were charged with attempted murder of a federal officer in connection with the July 4, 2025, ambush attack on the Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas. (Johnson County Sheriff’s Office)
Meanwhile, KERA News reported that Savanna Batten partook in the Occupy Wall Street movement through an «Occupy Dallas» protest in 2011, where she was arrested for allegedly not allowing people to come and go from a Chase Bank. The case was ultimately dismissed, as a criminal trespassing charge was scrapped in exchange for 24 community service hours, the outlet reported.
Batten also specifically has a history of anti-ICE activism, as she was charged for allegedly blocking a highway in June 2018 near a Dallas ICE facility, and the charge for that was also dismissed in 2019 as part of a program.
Fox News Digital reported last week that Benjamin Song, who was captured by the FBI last week, had a known protest background. He was named in a 2023 lawsuit over a counter-protest to the New Columbia Movement at a drag brunch in Fort Worth, Texas. The lawsuit noted Song was tied with a pro-arms leftist group, the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club.
UNEARTHED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS EXPOSE RADICAL VIEWS OF ANTI-ICE SHOOTING SUSPECT CAPTURED BY FBI
During the Prairieland Detention Center attack, cars were vandalized with anti-ICE messages such as «Ice Pig.» (Justice Department)
In addition, he was also arrested in 2020 during a protest in Austin for allegedly assaulting a public servant, according to Fox 4.
Song’s social media profiles also indicated that he was extremely vocal online about his stances and activism, and also appeared to use a martial arts studio tied to his mother to film tactical exercises.
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«Do you want to end mass shootings? Abolish the police,» he posted in June 2022 under the X handle, BubbleBreakBS.
Song, a former U.S. Marine Corps reservist, is accused of firing two AR-15-style rifles at two correctional officers and one Alvarado police officer, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital.
MORE DETAILS REVEALED ON SUSPECTS IN INDEPENDENCE DAY ICE ATTACK IN TEXAS
Savanna Batten (left) and Ines Soto (right) are both charged with attempted murder and firearms offenses in an anti-ICE Texas attack on July 4, 2025. (Johnson County Jail/)
«Make no mistake, this was not a peaceful protest,» Acting U.S. Attorney Nancy E. Larson said in a July 8 statement. «This was an ambush on federal and local law enforcement officers. This increasing trend of violence against law enforcement will not be tolerated in the Northern District of Texas. Those who use violence against law enforcement officers will be found and prosecuted using the toughest criminal statutes and penalties available.»
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A local police officer was shot in the neck by a suspect in the woods, according to the complaint. Another assailant allegedly fired dozens of rounds at unarmed correctional officers who had stepped outside the facility. Cars outside the facility were vandalized with «Ice pig» and «Traitor,» as authorities obtained anti-government literature from those involved, as well as a flag that said «Fight Fascism, Fight Oligarchy.»
Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Hay canciones que pasan a la historia, ya sea por su melodía, por las voces que las interpretan o sus letras. The Independent realizó un ranking de las 40 mejores letras de canciones en inglés de todos los tiempos. Bandas como Nirvana, The Beatles o Abba forman parte del listado. Según el ranking, las canciones se destacaron no solo por su música o interpretación, sino también por la fuerza de sus palabras, capaces de dejar una huella en distintas generaciones.
La lista está encabezada por ‘All Apologies’ de Nirvana. El tema está incluido en el álbum In Utero de 1993. Cobain escribió esta canción dirigiéndose tanto a Courtney Love como a su hija, Frances Bean. Para muchos, este track logra transmitir con especial nitidez el malestar interno y la rabia del músico, a la vez que se entrelaza con una profunda declaración de amor hacia su familia.
Según The Independent, el mensaje contenido en esta canción supera la tragedia personal de Cobain y subraya la permanencia del afecto más allá de la ausencia física. Apenas seis meses después del lanzamiento, el artista se quitó la vida y dejó atrás de sí un tema que muchos consideran imprescindible para comprender el significado de su legado artístico.
El listado continúa con Nine Inch Nails, ‘Hurt’. El tema, escrito e interpretado por Trent Reznor, hace un retrato directo de la autodestrucción y el sufrimiento, elementos presentes desde la primera grabación. Si bien Reznor nunca precisó si el trasfondo hace referencia al consumo de heroína, el texto y la atmósfera de la canción transmiten una carga emotiva que oscila entre el dolor y una poesía sombría.
Joy Division con su hit ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ da continuidad al ranking. “¿Por qué el dormitorio está tan frío volteado de tu lado?, ¿Mi sincronización es tan imperfecta, nuestro respeto se ha agotado?“, cita la letra. El sencillo, escrito por Ian Curtis, refleja matices de su propia experiencia personal, marcada por la crisis matrimonial y una inminente tragedia.
La canción sobresale por una combinación de melodía vibrante y una lírica de gran vulnerabilidad. La composición no transmite un mensaje sombrío en sí mismo, sino que transforma su tristeza en una pieza conmovedora, donde la humanidad del autor adquiere toda su dimensión.
Arcade Fire, ‘Sprawl II Mountains Beyond Mountains’ continúa la lista. Junto a la voz de Régine Chassagne, la canción aporta una atmósfera única. La melodía logra materializar emociones latentes y anhelos de escapar de la uniformidad.
El ranking, presentado por The Independent, sigue con Beyoncé, ‘Formation’; Laura Marling, ‘Ghosts’; LCD Soundsystem, ‘Losing My Edge’; Leonard Cohen, ‘So Long, Marianne’; The Libertines, ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’; Kate Bush, ‘Cloudbusting’; Nick Cave, ‘Into My Arms’; The Sisters of Mercy, ‘This Corrosion’ y Sultans of Ping FC con ‘Where’s Me Jumper?’
Seguidamente, el medio español posicionó entre los mejores temas a ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out’, de The Smiths; ‘I’m On Fire’ de Bruce Springsteen; ‘Father Lucifer’ de Tori Amos; ‘Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos’ de Public Enemy y ‘Pools (Drank)’ de Kendrick Lamar.
Mientras la comunidad afroamericana afrontaba las consecuencias de políticas conservadoras, Prince decidió abordar en su tema principal cuestiones como la violencia asociada a las pandillas, la pandemia del sida, tensiones políticas y catástrofes naturales. Con este enfoque, el cantante dejó atrás su aislamiento creativo y presentó ‘Sign O ‘The Times’, una canción donde la reflexión social y el comentario sobre realidades urgentes pasaron a primer plano.
En el listado no podían faltar los Rolling Stones. Si bien tienen grandes letras, en ‘Gimme Shelter’ recrean la atmósfera de inestabilidad y amenaza constante de la época. La composición captura el miedo y la incertidumbre de una sociedad al borde de la ruptura. Asimismo consolida el legado de Mick Jagger, Keith Richards y sus compañeros como cronistas musicales de un periodo turbulento.
Si de turbulencias se trata, David Bowie es uno de los artistas que, durante su vida, atravesó momentos turbulentos. Estos periodos fueron de gran inspiración para el músico a la hora de componer. ‘Station to Station’ es una de las canciones grabadas en los días más oscuros de Bowie. El músico lidiaba con su adicción a las drogas en Los Ángeles mientras buscaba refugio en las letras.
El ranking continúa con ‘Supersonic’, de Oasis; ‘Born Slippy’ de Underworld; ‘Landslide’ de Fleetwood Mac; ‘Graceland’ de Paul Simon; ‘Take a Walk on the Wild Side’ de Lou Reed; ‘Every Time the Sun Comes Up’, de Sharon Van Etten; ‘Gloria’ de Patti Smith; y ‘Hotel California’ de Eagles.
Thin Lizzy sigue el listado con ‘The Boys are Back in Town’. Le sigue Nina Simone con ‘Four Women’; St. Vincent ‘Digital Witnesses’; Frank Ocean con ‘Pink + White’. El ranking continúa con ‘Dinner at Eight’ de Rufus Wainwright; ‘It’s Alright Ma’’ de Bob Dylan; ‘The Winner Takes it All’ de Abba y ‘I Wanna Be Adored’ de The Stone Roses.
En los tres últimos puestos se encuentran ‘The World is Yours’ de Nas; ‘When I’m Sixty Four’ de The Beatles y Beck con ‘Loser’. Este último es uno de los éxitos más recordados de Beck. Surgió a partir de una autocrítica espontánea después de escuchar una versión preliminar del tema. El propio músico reconoció sentirse «el peor rapero del mundo» y se definió como “un perdedor”.
Esta percepción no solo alimentó el concepto de la canción, sino que inspiró el famoso estribillo que acabó identificando al tema. A pesar de la aparente falta de coherencia en la letra, la composición logra crear una atmósfera singular gracias a su escritura en flujo de conciencia, un recurso que genera magnetismo incluso en lo absurdo.
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